The C|T Group, also referred to as Crosby Textor, is an Australian lobbying firm, private investigations firm, and political consultancy. The firm provides social research, corporate intelligence[1] corporate strategy and political polling services to its clients.
 | |
| Industry | Political strategy |
|---|---|
| Founder | |
| Subsidiaries | CTF Partners |
| Website | ctgroup |
The firm has historically been associated with mainstream right-wing political parties across the world, and has a particularly strong association with the Liberal Party of Australia. In 2024, an investigation by the Financial Times has exposed that CT Group has provided forged or faked banking records for multiple litigations ongoing in the UK courts, where it was alleged that CT undertook 'industrial-scale forgery" and 'apparent criminality'.[2][3]
Crosby Textor was founded by Mark Textor and Lynton Crosby. The firm provides its services throughout the world, but its most notable markets are that of Canada, Australia, Britain, Africa, Italy and New Zealand.
History & operations
editThe firm has been involved in numerous prominent political campaigns; providing polling and strategy services to political parties. The clientele of the firm has historically been right wing.
Examples of political campaigns in which the firm has operated include:
- The failed "Yes" Campaign in the 2023 Australian Referendum, also known as Yes23[4]
- Boris Johnson's successful London Mayoral campaign in 2008.[5]
- Liberal party operations and strategy for the 2010, 2013 Australian federal election, 2016 Australian federal election, and 2022 Australian federal election campaigns.[6][7][8]
- Campbell Newman's Liberal National Party election campaign in the 2012 Queensland election.[9]
- The 2012 Northern Territory election, which was won by the Country Liberal Party.[10]
- In 2014 the firm published polling which demonstrated that most Australians were in favour of legalising same-sex marriage. In June 2020, the firm undertook polling research in relation to the proposed Indigenous voice to Parliament; finding that a majority of Australians support a constitutionally-enshrined Voice to Parliament.[11][12]
- In 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Crosby would play a leading role in the Conservatives' campaign for the 2017 general election. The Conservatives failed to secure an outright majority and author Hannah Jane described Crosby as running a "disastrous, horrendously negative campaign".[13]
- In 2019, an investigation by The Guardian revealed that to further the political objectives of its clients, C|T Group created ostensibly independent social media accounts behind adverts on Facebook to promote political ideas, such as promoting a hard Brexit which were in fact administered by employees of CTF Partners (a subsidiary).[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Subscribe to read". www.ft.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ O'Murchu, Cynthia (24 February 2024). "Lynton Crosby's CT Group accused of supplying forged records in court disputes". Financial Times.
- ^ O'Murchu, Cynthia (28 March 2024). "Sir Lynton Crosby's CT Group accused of unlawful information gathering. Defendants in suit over multibillion-dollar estate allege 'industrial-scale forgery' and 'apparent criminality'". Financial Times.
- ^ "Voice to Parliament:Yes Campaign is Calm". 15 June 2023.
- ^ "Boris Johnson handwritten note to thank Crosby Textor". Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ^ "Who's in Tony Abbott's inner circle". Archived from the original on 30 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ^ Liberal Party. "2013 Federal Election – Address by Brian Loughnane, Federal Director". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
- ^ Textor, Mark (5 November 2013). "Mark Textor Interview" (video). Lateline (Interview). Interviewed by Alberici, Emma. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ The Hon. Nicholls, Tim. Address in Reply. Queensland Parliament, 17 May 2012.
- ^ "Mark Textor on the campaign in NT".
- ^ Wellington, Shahni (15 July 2020). "'Hugely encouraging': Voice to Parliament advocates boosted by poll". NITV. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Poll Shows Strong Rise in Support for Constitutional Change to Create Indigenous Voice to Parliament". From The Heart. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Parkinson, Hannah Jane. "Lynton Crosby isn't a genius – and five other lessons the election taught us". Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ Waterson, Jim (3 April 2019). "'Grassroots' Facebook Brexit ads secretly run by staff of Lynton Crosby firm". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
Further reading
edit- "Lynton Crosby". The Guardian. The Guardian's articles on Lynton Crosby