Lynton Crosby AO is an Australian political strategist.
Having masterminded four successive election victories for John Howard, he has been described as a "master of the dark political arts," "the Australian Karl Rove," and in 2002 The Age newspaper described Crosby as "one of the most powerful and influential figures in the (Australian) nation."[1]
After his failure to guide the British Conservative Party to victory in 2005, Crosby returned to British politics and during the 2008 London Mayoral campaign, he helped Conservative candidate Boris Johnson to beat the Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone. In March 2009, it was announced that Crosby would direct the Europe-wide Libertas campaign for the June 2009 European Parliament elections.[2] Libertas is an avowedly pro-European party opposed to the Lisbon Treaty, although many of its critics and many media reports refer to it as a eurosceptic party.
He holds a degree in economics from the University of Adelaide and in 2005 was awarded the Officer in the Order of Australia (AO).
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In 1976, Crosby started his career as a market analyst with Golden Fleece Petroleum. Crosby commenced his political career as a research assistant in 1978 for Senator Baden Teague. In 1980 Crosby became Executive Assistant to the Hon. Harold Allison, then Minister of Education & Aboriginal Affairs. Crosby became Executive Assistant to the Hon. Martin Cameron MLC in 1992, then Leader of The Opposition In The Legislative Council in South Australia. Between 1986 and 1991 Crosby held a series of corporate affairs positions in the Australian private sector.
In 1991, Crosby became State Director for the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia, and in 1994 the Deputy Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia, serving under then Federal Director Andrew Robb, until replacing him as Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia in May 1997. Crosby set up "Crosby & Textor" with Mark Textor in 2002.
Crosby served as campaign director in 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2004 elections. In 1998, the government won with marginal seats (swing seats) targeted by Crosby. The election saw the smallest two party preferred margin win since 1949 estimates, on 49.02 percent. By the time of his departure, the Liberal party was out of power in every state and territory and lost power federally soon afterwards.
Crosby managed the Conservative Party's 2005 general election campaign in the United Kingdom, and also appointed to run (the successful) Conservative Boris Johnson's London 2008 Mayoral election campaign, at a cost to the party of £140,000 for four months of work.[3]
Crosby was involved in setting up CT Financial in 2006, an investor relations and financial communications specialist consultancy.
According to investigative journalist Nicky Hager, Crosby/Textor is also an adviser to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key. [1]
Critics suggest Crosby plays what is called "wedge politics", whereby the political party he strategically and tactically advises takes the centre ground and makes the opposition oppose a policy which will alienate the majority of the public. This is also described as "below the radar" campaigning, with the targeting of marginal constituencies with highly localised campaigning, latching on to local issues and personalities.[1] To find such issues, Crosby's business partner Mark Textor runs focus groups to find which groups to target with what questions.[4]
Such tactics have included: