Federal election 2022: Who’s who of the Coalition and Labor campaigns

The Coalition campaign headquarters will be based in Brisbane in a repeat of 2019 while Labor will stay in Sydney but shift to Surry Hills in the CBD instead of Parramatta.

Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA Newswire

The campaign machines will play a critical role in supporting Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese in the election race, providing each leader with information and research to help target their pitch to the public and identify key seats and voting groups they must win.

The Coalition campaign headquarters will be based in Brisbane in a repeat of 2019, with the government holding 23 out of the 30 seats in Queensland. About 120 Coalition staffers have relocated to Brisbane for the campaign.

The Labor campaign headquarters will stay in Sydney but shift to Surry Hills in the CBD instead of Parramatta where the 2019 campaign was run from. About 100 Labor staffers will be based in Surry Hills for the campaign.

Liberal Party federal director Andrew Hirst — widely credited for the 2019 miracle victory — will run the government’s campaign. It is Mr Hirst’s second election as federal director and he will be up against ALP national secretary Paul Erickson.

Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia Andrew Hirst.

Labor's national secretary Paul Erickson. Picture: Kym Smith

Mr Erickson is running his first election campaign for the Labor Party, but headed up Labor’s target seats unit at the 2019 election.

The Prime Minster’s travelling party will include his close political ally and friend, Ben Morton, who serves as the Special Minister of State. Mr Morton will serve as a sounding board for Morrison and adviser on the road.

Mr Morrison will also be joined by his principal private secretary, Yaron Finkelstein, and his director of communications and senior press secretary, Andrew Carswell.

The Opposition Leader will be joined on the road by his chief-of-staff Tim Gartrell and Liz Fitch who is heading up his travelling media unit.

Mr Albanese will be joined throughout the campaign by a range of his frontbench team including Mark Butler, Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers and Tony Burke. His deputy leader Richard Marles may join him at times, but will also be campaigning himself.

Crosby Textor will conduct internal polling and research for the Coalition, led by pollster and strategist Dr Mike Turner.

Political strategist Isaac Levido, who set up Crosby Textor’s Washington DC office and headed up the successful 2019 political campaign for Boris Johnson in the UK, will also be based at the Coalition headquarters as a senior consultant.

Mr Levido was the Liberal Party deputy director during Scott Morrison’s miracle 2019 election victory.

Labor’s internal polling will be conducted by YouGov and its advertising will be run by Dee Madigan at Campaign Edge.

Senior staff will also be stationed at the respective campaign headquarters for both parties including both Mr Hirst and Mr Erickson.

Nationals federal director Jonathan Hawkes will relocate to the Coalition headquarters in Brisbane along with Liberal Party deputy federal director Simon Berger, the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff John Kunkel and Government Senate Leader, Simon Birmingham.

Media communications at the Coalition nerve centre in Brisbane will be headed up Guy Creighton.

ALP national assistant secretary Jen Light will be running Mr Albanese’s target seats unit from the Surry Hills headquarters while Senator Wong’s communications director John Olenich will head up communications.

Labor’s campaign spokespeople include Jason Clare who will be based in Sydney and Katy Gallagher who will be based in Canberra.