Pollster owned by blacklisted lobbyists on Queensland Labor payroll

A pollster owned by blacklisted lobbying firm is shaping Annastacia Palaszczuk’s campaign for re-election.

Evan Moorhead.

A polling company owned by blacklisted lobbyists Evan Moorhead and David Nelson is on the Queensland Labor payroll, helping to shape Annastacia Palaszczuk’s re-election campaign.

The pair were banned from lobbying in Queensland last year after The Australian revealed they were paid to run the Premier’s successful 2020 re-election campaign while securing lucrative government deals and access for their clients.

It helped spark an integrity ­review by academic Peter Coaldrake, who recommended that “dual-hatting” be banned.

“The public is naturally sceptical about whether this is a fair way to conduct business,” Professor Coaldrake’s report stated.

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

While Mr Moorhead and Mr Nelson have stepped back from personally lobbying the government, their firm – Anacta Strategies – still has one of the biggest lists of clients in the state.

Parent company Anacta Holdings, founded by Mr Moorhead, a former ALP state secretary, and Mr Nelson bought New Zealand-based polling company Talbot Mills.

Electoral Commission of Queensland documents show the state ALP has paid Talbot Mills Research Australia more than $230,000 in the year to June.

Queensland ALP secretary Kate Flanders confirmed Talbot Mills was conducting “focus group” research on an ongoing basis for the party for Ms Palaszczuk’s bid to retain power at the election in October next year.

It is understood the company is paid a monthly $26,400 retainer. But Ms Flanders said despite the corporate links to Mr Moorhead and Mr Nelson, the campaign research was kept confidential from the lobbying firm.

“The research is independent and confidential (from Anacta Strategies),’’ she said.

“We use Talbot Mills to do qualitative research and none of those people do any lobbying.’’

Liberal National Party spokeswoman Fiona Simpson questioned the arrangement. “At the height of the integrity crisis, Queenslanders were led to believe Anacta would be nowhere near the Premier’s re-election campaign,” she said. “It turns out it was a barefaced lie to get through a crisis.”

In a statement, David Talbot, co-founder and director of Talbot Mills Research, said the company had been doing work in Queensland for decades.

“Talbot Mills specialises in ­industry-leading political and corporate research,’’ he said.

“We have contributed proudly to political campaigns at the very highest levels in Australia and New Zealand for several decades.

“In Queensland, Stephen Mills has provided research insights on every state campaign for the past 30 years, while in New Zealand I was privileged to lead the research program for Jacinda Ardern’s successful 2017 and 2020 campaigns.

“Talbot Mills continues to develop innovative research methodologies and tools; we have no time nor the interest to engage in lobbying.”

It was revealed this week that Queensland unions are planning to conduct polling on Ms Palaszczuk and leadership alter­natives amid growing frustration in the labour movement about the performance of the Premier.

Despite their doubts, Ms Palaszczuk has vowed to lead Labor to the next election.