We are former Ministers and Members of Parliament, Chiefs of Staff, Senior Policy Advisers, Press Secretaries and party officials. We have deep government relations, strategic communications and campaigning experience across the economy and civil society.
Mobile: +61 411 222 680
Grahame Morris is one of Australia’s most respected political commentators and has stepped down from an active role after more than a decade as Federal Director of Barton Deakin.
As a political legend in Australian politics, he continues to share his extensive political knowledge and experience with colleagues as Chairman Emeritus of Barton Deakin.
He has more than 30 years’ association with the Liberal and National Parties around the country and served as Deputy Federal Director of the Liberal Party and State Director of the SA Liberal Party. He also had a distinguished career at Parliament House serving as parliamentary adviser to Liberal Leaders Andrew Peacock and Alexander Downer and as Chief of Staff to former Prime Minister, John Howard. He has worked with the Coalition on 26 state and federal campaigns around the country.
Along with an encyclopaedic knowledge of politics and government, Grahame has more than a decade of experience in the corporate world having been Chairman of Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Office of Federal Government Services, CEO of a leading issues management firm and a director at News Limited.
Prior to his careers in the political and corporate worlds, Grahame was a journalist with The Australian and regional print publications.
Grahame is a regular commentator on politics, government and the mood of the community on ABC TV and radio, Sky News and the print media.
Office: +61 2 9191 7888
Mobile: +61 419 241 587
Email: [email protected]
Andrew Humpherson has over three decades’ experience of government relations in Federal, State and local government environments. He leads Barton Deakin across its jurisdictions.
Andrew has effectively and successfully supported client needs directly in NSW and Federally, as well as providing strategic advice nationally and coordinating multi-government engagement.
Prior to joining Barton Deakin, Andrew was an MP in the NSW Parliament for 15 years and served as a Shadow Minister for eight years with portfolio experience spanning planning, environment, justice and corrections, housing, water and emergency services. Prior to being elected to Parliament he spent five years as a local government Councillor.
On leaving elected politics, Andrew managed the corporate affairs division for Australia’s Federal nuclear agency, ANSTO.
Andrew has also served in government as a Chief of Staff to the NSW Minister for Resources and Energy.
He also spent time consulting across diverse sectors in his own government affairs business and held corporate positions with multinational energy companies. He has strong experience in issues management and crisis communications including with coal seam gas and radioactive waste.
Andrew brings to Barton Deakin’s clients a deep understanding of politics with extensive senior networks across politics at State and Federal levels with a particular emphasis on the resources, energy and development sectors.
He has commentated on elections and been involved in election campaigns for over 40 years. He is a keen representative touch footballer, is a snow skier, has coached junior sport, been patron of many community organisations; as well as holding voluntary sporting body executive positions.
Mobile: +61 438 439 431
Email: [email protected]
Anthony Benscher is Managing Director (NSW) at Barton Deakin, supporting clients to effectively engage Liberal National coalitions, parliaments and governments at national, state and local levels.
Based in Sydney, Anthony provides clients with crisis and issues management advice as well as stakeholder and community engagement to strengthen reputation.
Anthony’s deep understanding of communications, stakeholder relations and politics comes from over 30 years of public policy, media management and campaigning experience, advising and supporting corporates, social organisations, and governments to achieve and surpass their goals.
Prior to joining Barton Deakin, Anthony served as Chief of Staff in the NSW state Liberal National Coalition Government from 2011, and earlier for 8 years as a press secretary and senior campaigner and adviser to Australian Prime Minister John Howard both before and after the Coalition’s 1996 landslide election victory.
In the corporate world, Anthony supported business development and policy advocacy for Packer family companies Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) and Consolidated Private Holdings (CPH), and as a consultant.
Anthony completed a full-time Masters of Business Administration at the Australian Graduate School of Management and holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Sydney.
Mobile: +61 419 901 159
John Griffin is one of Australia’s most experienced government relations and political strategy advisers and is highly sought after in both the corporate and political spheres.
John acts as a Special Counsel at Barton Deakin, with extensive experience across a range of jurisdictions, including in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and with the Federal Liberal National Coalition in Canberra.
Born and raised in Adelaide, John has more than 35 years’ experience as an adviser to Coalition governments and oppositions in South Australia, Canberra and Victoria. In the federal political arena he has served as Legislative Assistant to Senator Robert Hill, Senior Private Secretary to the Hon. John Howard during his first period as Opposition Leader, Parliamentary and Policy Consultant to the Liberal Party Federal Secretariat and as Senior Private Secretary to Dr John Hewson.
After working on the Victorian Coalition’s successful 1992 state election campaign, John was appointed Chief of Staff to the Victorian Premier, the Hon. Jeff Kennett AC and served in that position for five years, including Mr Kennett’s successful 1996 re-election campaign.
Since 1997, John has been a successful government relations and issues management adviser to a range of Australian and international corporations. He has also advised government agencies and private sector companies in the United States, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
John continues to assist the Liberal and National Parties on state and federal election campaigns as a senior political strategist and campaign adviser.