Former Abbott and Turnbull adviser Andrew Hirst to lead Liberals … – The Guardian

Tony Abbott (right) speaks with his then adviser Andrew Hirst in parliament in 2015. Hirst is to be come the next president of the Liberal party on Friday. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Former political staffer Andrew Hirst appears set to become the new federal director of the Liberal party, and is expected to be anointed to the position at the partys federal executive meeting on Friday.

Liberal sources on Wednesday confirmed Hirst was expected to get the nod to run the partys next federal campaign.

Hirst has been a longtime backroom operative, and has worked for all party leaders since the Howard era, including for both Malcolm Turnbull in opposition, and Tony Abbott in government.

In recent times he has worked for the Liberal partys preferred pollster, Crosby Textor, running the firms Canberra operation.

Andrew Bragg has been acting in the role of party director since the departure earlier this year of Tony Nutt, but some party officials regard him as lacking the requisite hands-on experience in campaigns to head up the federal organisation on a permanent basis.

A critical review of the Liberal partys last federal campaign by former party director and federal minister Andrew Robb has identified a number of problems which culminated in Malcolm Turnbull almost losing the election.

The Robb review found the government was flying blind for key periods after Tony Abbott assumed power in 2013 right through to the 2016 federal election, because the research and data analytics functions were severely under-resourced.

The review found the Liberals were outgunned on the ground by Labor and progressive activist groups, and failed to develop a strategy to neutralise or rebut key attack themes, like the so-called Mediscare campaign.

It also criticised the lack of concrete policy sitting behind the Coalitions jobs and growth campaign slogan, and a lack of attention to defining political opponents, noting that a campaign for re-election needed to be formulated during the whole parliamentary term of government.

Hirst who served in Liberal party HQ during the last federal election will take the reins at a time when the party will be looking to sharpen its field operation, analytics and its digital campaigning.

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Former Abbott and Turnbull adviser Andrew Hirst to lead Liberals ... - The Guardian