The Tanck Blog

Politics, policy, campaigns and advocacy.

We give you our latest insights on political trends, elections, lobbying and advocacy news, as well as tips and ideas for better government engagement and government relations.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Board and Management, Budgets and Funding, Communications and Media, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Strategy and Planning Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Board and Management, Budgets and Funding, Communications and Media, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Strategy and Planning Tanck

Guide to mapping advocacy for a board and leadership team 

Effective advocacy starts with clear evidence, practical solutions and a strong understanding of political influence. Learn how boards and leadership teams can map advocacy capability to strengthen impact and long-term sustainability.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Consulting, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Political Parties, Purpose and Values Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Consulting, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Political Parties, Purpose and Values Tanck

Government Advocacy: what’s in it for me and my organisation? 

Government engagement isn’t just about advocacy. It’s an organisational capability that can strengthen funding resilience, reduce reactive pressure and support long-term sustainability.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Purpose and Values, Strategy and Planning, Whitepaper Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Purpose and Values, Strategy and Planning, Whitepaper Tanck

Why Your Government Funding Strategy Isn’t Working 

Government funding frustration is often about more than scarcity. Misalignment, limited political research, weak budget engagement and fragmented advocacy can all reduce an organisation’s influence.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Board and Management, Budgets and Funding, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Strategy and Planning Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Board and Management, Budgets and Funding, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Strategy and Planning Tanck

Five steps to shift from reactive to ready 

Explore five practical steps organisations can take to move from reactive advocacy to strategic readiness, strengthening their capability, relationships and influence over time.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Communications and Media, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Political Parties, Strategy and Planning Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Communications and Media, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Political Parties, Strategy and Planning Tanck

Philanthropic Advocacy Readiness Checklist 

Assess whether an organisation is ready to deploy philanthropic funding for advocacy. This checklist evaluates government engagement, stakeholder relationships, policy participation and the foundations for long-term influence.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Board and Management, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Strategy and Planning, Whitepaper Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Board and Management, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Strategy and Planning, Whitepaper Tanck

The strongest advocacy is not always from the biggest kids in the playground

Advocacy isn't defined by size or budget. It's built on credibility, persistence and trusted relationships that create lasting influence when opportunities for change emerge.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Communications and Media, Consulting, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Purpose and Values, Social Justice, Strategy and Planning, Whitepaper Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Communications and Media, Consulting, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Purpose and Values, Social Justice, Strategy and Planning, Whitepaper Tanck

The role of civil society in communities is not just valuable, it is essential

As trust declines and public debate fragments, civil society organisations play a critical role in connecting communities with decision-makers and strengthening democratic participation.

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Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Political Parties, Purpose and Values, Whitepaper Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Budgets and Funding, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Political Parties, Purpose and Values, Whitepaper Tanck

The 26-27 Federal Budget Quietly Confirms Australia’s Reliance on Civil Society

Every Federal Budget tells a story about what government believes matters, behind the headlines, capital gains, taxes, war and security something else is in this budget.


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Advocacy and Campaigning, Elections, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Podcast Tanck Advocacy and Campaigning, Elections, Federal Government, Legislation and Policy, Podcast Tanck

Four-Year Terms: Agreed, Obvious, and Still Not Done 

There are very few policy reforms in Australia that have near-universal agreement and still go nowhere. Fixed four-year federal terms sit firmly in that category. 

This is not a fringe idea. Every state and territory already operates on four-year cycles. Most comparable democracies do the same. At the federal level, we continue to run on three. 

As Maddy Gray stated on The Pub Test (Podcast), presented by Tanck and Baker & York, the issue is not just the length of the term, but what that structure allows governments to do. Her experience across public service, political offices, and the private sector points to a consistent problem: the current system constrains delivery. 

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