Daniel Andrews’ ‘lefty’ spin doctor pockets $357,000 in rail deal

When Daniel Andrews wants to know what Victorians think he calls QDOS. The Labor-aligned firm’s latest deal is now revealed

ALP strategist John Armitage. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Daniel Andrews’ political intelligence consultant has pocketed ­almost $360,000 in taxpayer-funded payments to conduct community research on the Premier’s signature level-crossing removal project.

QDOS Research – owned and operated by veteran Victorian ALP strategist John Armitage – was awarded the six-figure contract to survey locals who would be affected by the rail program.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan has confirmed QDOS was engaged in February 2022, and the contract is expected to run until June 2024.

‘‘This was for community research services for the Level Crossing Removal Project to survey local residents,’’ Ms Allan told parliament in a written response to questions from the opposition.

‘‘With the projects being highly impactful to communities, research is a crucial tool for the projects to understand the level of awareness of project design and disruption, as well as how communities wish to be consulted during planning, and communicated with while major works are under way.’’

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

It’s unclear if the $357,350 contract was awarded under a competitive tender process or just handed to QDOS by the government. The payment is in addition to $2m the Department of Premier and Cabinet paid the firm to monitor public reaction to the government’s Covid response, including lockdowns and the Premier’s popularity during the pandemic.

Shadow special minister for state David Davis said Mr Andrews had ‘‘reserved his pet Labor-linked polling group QDOS for key taxpayer-funded attitude research on his troubled infrastructure projects’’, adding: “This is to massage and spin the sell to Victorians of these projects which are, almost without exception, massively over budget, in some cases billions over budget,’’ he said.

‘‘He is prepared to use taxpayers’ money to spin his way through his arrogant overpowering of local communities. If Victorians doubt the waste of public money, they need only remember the huge number of TV advertisements they have seen for government infrastructure programs, not one of which mentions cost blowouts.

“The money squandered on taxpayer research by QDOS should have been redirected to lowering our surging hospital waiting lists.”

Mr Armitage has been approached for comment.

Ms Allen’s response to parliament indicates QDOS has raked in more than the $357,350 from the Department of Transport and Planning, as she reveals the Labor-aligned firm was engaged on a research services panel as early as June 2017.

Other government responses reveal that QDOS was awarded four other contracts by government departments in ­recent years.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action awarded QDOS a $6600 contract and a separate $49,500 contract to monitor public reaction to water-related policies.

The Department of Education awarded it a $55,000 contract to research flexible and remote learning during the pandemic, and a separate $42,000 contract to hold focus groups with teachers and school leaders. Ultimately, this project ended up costing taxpayers only $18,000.

Mr Armitage – who says he is a ‘‘lefty and fair dinkum about it’’ – first started working with Mr Andrews in the early 2000s when he was an assistant state secretary of the state ALP.

QDOS boasts ‘‘public opinion is a fluid that we can squeeze, pump and stir’’, and it specialises in shaping public opinion, changing public behaviour and formulating ‘‘persuasive’’ language.

The Australian revealed in October 2020 that QDOS was earning millions of dollars to run a secretive program to monitor the views of Victorians and that the program was controlled out of the Premier’s Private Office.

In March, after waging and winning a two-year legal struggle to access hundreds of pages of confidential QDOS communications with the DPC and PPO under Freedom of Information laws, The Australian revealed the true extent of the firm’s secretive work during the pandemic.

The documents confirmed that during the entire length of the pandemic, including the 112-day lockdown of Melbourne, QDOS was used to monitor Victorians’ views about the Premier’s personal performance.