Hobnobbing with Parliament

A large part of what Ogilvy PR does in Sydney is public affairs and lobbying work, so it wasn't a huge surprise yesterday when I was was told the company had bought a table at dinner for a former Premier of New South Wales (similar to our state governors... with a few exceptions). Several of our clients were coming and I was asked to attend the event, which I happily did.

What followed was an insight into Australian politics, which seemed as relaxed and informal as Australian culture. Several prominent members of the Federal Government were in attendance, such as Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson, Malcolm Turnbull, and local opposition leader Barry O'Farrell. I was surprised at how accessible the members of Parliament were. These are people featured on TV every day. No secret service, no political handlers, they just moved through the crowd on their own. I even got the chance to speak with Dr. Nelson personally when we passed one another on the way to the restroom.

Even more surprising was how down to earth they were. I was approached by a members of the state opposition saying, "are you Kevin? We hear you just moved here from New York." It seemed so far from U.S. politics.

After meeting these people, I feel as though I can start speeding without any worry... Ok, maybe not.