Banned ex-lobbyist David Nelson in Anthony Albanese’s inner circle

One of the owners of a Labor-linked lobbying firm, banned as a lobbyist after being caught secretly running Annastacia Palaszczuk’s 2020 campaign, has been working daily in ALP campaign headquarters.

From left: Evan Moorhead and David Nelson, co-owners of lobbying firm Anacta Strategies; rival lobbyist, Next Level Strategic Services' Cameron Milner.

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One of the owners of a Labor-linked lobbying firm, banned as a lobbyist in Queensland after being caught secretly running then-premier ­Annastacia Palaszczuk’s 2020 campaign, is ­playing a senior role in shaping Anthony Albanese’s re-election bid.

David Nelson, co-owner of lobbying firm Anacta Strategies, has been working daily in ALP campaign headquarters in inner Sydney since the Prime Minister in March called the May 3 ­election.

Labor insiders said Mr Nelson was in the “inner circle developing the campaign strategy” for the federal Labor government.

Mr Nelson, who is no longer a registered lobbyist but remains a major shareholder and director of Anacta Strategies, was blacklisted in Queensland in 2022 after an ­inquiry found his role in the state Labor campaign would raise suspicions that his clients received special access to the re-elected government. It was around this time that his firm expanded out of Queensland, setting up its Canberra office two days after Mr ­Albanese was elected as Prime Minister in May 2022.

Anacta has had 88 federal clients in the past three years, and currently represents 33 companies and organisations, including a range of renewable energy companies, the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok and mining giant Glencore, which recently sought federal and state government financial support to keep open their copper smelter and refinery operations in Queensland.

Labor sources said Mr Nelson was advising on Labor campaign advertising buys and messaging using focus group research conducted by a pollster owned by his lobbying firm’s parent company, Anacta Holdings.

“He is helping to massage the message of Albo using the research, seeing what works and what doesn’t,’’ one source said.

“He is playing a senior role in the campaign.’’

A spokesman for the ALP campaign did not answer specific questions about Mr Nelson’s role.

“The ALP has engaged a number of firms to provide research, creative and communications services on this campaign,’’ he said.

“There are no lobbyists working on our campaign.”

A spokeswoman for Anacta Strategies later issued a statement saying: “David Nelson is not a lobbyist and does not engage in lobbying activities.”

Mr Nelson was banned as a lobbyist in Queensland for the duration of the term of parliament, along with Anacta co-founder Evan Moorhead and rival lobbyist Cameron Milner – both former Queensland ALP state secretaries – after The Australian revealed all three had run Ms Palas­zczuk’s re-election campaign.

A subsequent inquiry by public administration expert Peter Coaldrake coined the practice “dual hatting” and said a ban on the lobbyists was necessary to ensure public confidence.

“The appearance of guiding a political party to office one week and then advocating a client’s case for a government or council decision a few weeks later naturally raises suspicion which cannot be remedied by promises to impose ‘Chinese walls’,” he wrote.

“Most people would be incredulous at the proposition that a lobbyist working with a political leader in one capacity cannot later exercise special influence.”

The Australian had revealed that three Labor-linked firms – Anacta, Mr Milner’s Next Level Strategic Services and Hawker Britton – had secured 70 per cent of all meetings with MPs, their staff and government bureaucrats since Ms Palaszczuk was returned for a third term in 2020.

Anacta Strategies was put on a retainer by Queensland Labor in 2021 to advise the party ahead of the 2022 federal election.

Since then, Anacta Holdings merged with Talbot Mills Research Australia, which conducts focus group research.

ALP disclosures to the Electoral Commission of Queensland shows that Talbot Mills was paid more than $439,000 in the 2023-24 financial year.

Mr Nelson could not be contacted for comment.

He is understood to have worked on the Labour party election campaign in Britain last year, which saw Keir Starmer elected as Prime Minister.