Mark Textor

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Mark Textor is an Australian pollster and campaign strategist. He is the principal pollster to the Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Mark Textor has served as principal campaign pollster and consultant in the successful Liberal Party campaigns in the Australian Federal Elections of 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004.^{[citation needed]} He was also adviser to Kerry Chikarovski's unsuccessful Liberal Party campaign in the New South Wales general election, 1999.^[1]

Textor has been accused of using push polling techniques in the Northern Territory general election, 1994 and in the Canberra Federal By-Election of 25 March 1995.^[1] The Canberra by-election was won by the Liberal Party's Brendan Smyth despite being assumed to be a safe seat for the Labor Party and being won by the Labor Party again in the next general election. Sue Robinson, the Labor Party candidate, sued the pollsters, Roy Morgan Research Centre, and Mark Textor and Andrew Robb, the Director of the Liberal Party, for defamation.^[1]. Robinson won an undisclosed payout.^[2]

In relation to the takeover bid for Qantas, Textor has been hired by Airline Partners Australia to work on reducing community backlash against the decision by the Treasurer, Peter Costello,under the foreign takeovers legislation in an election year.^[3] It has been suggested that a conflict of interest has arisen over Crosby Textor's involvement with Airline Partners Australia given their closeness to the Government.^[4]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c Smith, Suzanne. "Push Your Vote Our Way", Background Briefing, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National, 28 February 1999. Retrieved on March 12, 2007.
^ Textor was pollster and campaign strategist for former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger in his 1997 victory and later, NZ Prime Minister Jenny Shipley. As part of the Wirthlin Group's Political Team he also assisted in directing polling in four US congressional and gubernatorial races in 1994. He was a key strategist for the victory of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase in Fiji and most recently was a key advisor to the Conservative Party in the 2005 UK General Election where he directed polling changes. Prior to founding Crosby|Textor with partner Lynton Crosby in 2002, Mark Textor was Australasian Managing Director of Wirthlin Worldwide. In 2006, Textor was involved in setting up C|T Financial, an investor relations and financial communications specialist consultancy.
[edit] Recent activities

As pollster for the Liberal party, Textor is said to be part of the Liberal Party's attack on Kevin Rudd as the new Labor leader. Textor is said to be polling for characteristics in the leader which might change their mind about him.<ref>{{cite news | first= Jason | last= Koutsoukis | author= | url= http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/get-smart-get-beaten/2007/02/24/1171734070332.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
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 | title= Get smart, get beaten  | work=   | publisher= [[The Age]] | pages=  | page=  | date= 25 February 2007 | accessdate= 2007-03-12 }}</li>
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<li id="_note-0">'''[[#_ref-0|^]]''' {{cite news | first= John | last= Warhurst | author= | url= http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=your%20say&subclass=general&story_id=561570&category=Opinion
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 | title= Lobbying: the fine line between public and private interest   | work= Opinion  | publisher= [[Canberra Times]] | date= 1 March 2007 | accessdate= 2007-03-12}}</li>
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<li id="_note-1">'''[[#_ref-1|^]]''' {{cite news | first= Brad | last= Norington | author= | url= http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,21267616-462,00.html | title= Lib pollsters push Qantas sale | work= | publisher= | pages= | page= | date= 22 February 2007 | accessdate=2007-03-12 }}</li></ol></ref>

[edit] External links
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