EXCLUSIVE
Media has been barred from a “public” event featuring National Party Senate leader Bridget McKenzie hosted by far-right lobby group Advance.
In a move similar to Pauline Hanson’s banning of some media outlets — which sparked national headlines and serious concerns over the undermining of democracy — Advance has said the event in Melbourne next week is “not open to the media”.
The move raises serious questions for McKenzie and the Coalition, given the Senator is to address the event in her official capacity, and that Advance is spruiking tickets to the event to the general public.
McKenzie did not respond to requests for comment from The Klaxon.
According to Advance the event, to be held Thursday at Melbourne’s Crown casino complex, is the “first stop” in a “national tour” and will cover “Advance’s on-the-ground plan for the 2026 state election”.
“Bridget McKenzie, Leader of the Nationals in the Senate will discuss why the tired major-party model is broken and what’s replacing it,” says marketing material for the event.
“Across two hours, you’ll [also] hear from Mia Schlicht, Executive Director of the Samuel Griffith Society on the constitutional questions around current political debate,” it states.
The Klaxon approached Advance this morning seeking a media pass to the event.
“There are no media passes for this event as it is not open to the media,” we were told in an email, signed only “Advance Media”.
Advance states it is not an arm of the Liberal and National parties, despite extremely deep ties.
Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott is a member of Advance’s “advisory council”; the group is chaired by former ACT Liberal MP Vicki Dunne; and Coalition Senator Jacinta Price was previously its long-time spokesperson.
The political lobby group aggressively and consistently attacks the ALP, the Greens and community independents, using strategies directly imported from the US MAGA movement.
“Advance decides how its events are run” — Gina Rinehart spokesman
Refusing to comment: Questions put to National’s Senate leader Bridget McKenzie
Advance is funded by a handful of the nation’s wealthiest people — many with deep ties to fossil fuels — yet falsely claims to be “grassroots movement” of “ordinary Aussies”.
Its biggest funder — by a factor of three — is mining multi-billionaire Gina Rinehart, an ardent MAGA supporter.
According to Advance, Australia is a “nation on the brink”, with “elites” having “seized power” and “destroying our country”.
Other Advance funders include billionaire James Packer; storage billionaire Sam Kennard; members of Sydney’s mega-wealthy O’Neil family — and members of secretive, wealthy sect Exclusive Brethren.
Rod Tunley and David Steele, both trustees of charities tied to the sect — whose members don’t vote — gave Advance $246,500 and $226,500 respectively in 2024-25, the latest data.
“The funders of Advance include billionaire James Packer, billionaire Sam Kennard and members of the secretive Exclusive Brethren sect”
Bridget McKenzie, leader of the Nationals in the Senate. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP
Advance spruiks for donations, and so “farms-in” members of the general public — which it then points to to falsely claim it is a legitimate grassroots, community-led movement.
Rinehart gave Advance $895,000 in 2024-25, the most recent data, which was almost three times the $300,000 given by its second biggest donor, Willumbury Pty Ltd.
Willumbury is a shell company owned by members of the O’Neil family, who have estimated net wealth of over $240 million, and who made their fortune in mining and concrete.
“Together, we can take back control and put mainstream Australians back where they belong,” states Advance’s website.
Rinehart is also the biggest funder of Pauline Hanson’s far-right One Nation.
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Exclusive Brethren sect members swarmed polling booths for the Liberal Party at the federal election. Source: The Klaxon
In recent months One Nation has barred media outlets, including the ABC, The Age and The Guardian from multiple press conferences and campaign events across the nation.
The Klaxon asked Rinehart if she was aware media was banned from the Advance event, and whether she considered it “appropriate that media is banned from a political event open to the public?”
Her spokesman James Radford responded: “Advance has tens of thousands of donors and, like any independent organisation, Advance decides how its events are run.”
Advance’s banning of media from the event is despite it claiming to be an advocate of “free speech”, and it aggressively campaigning, on that alleged basis, against moves to crack down on online disinformation.
Most recently Advance has been heavily campaigning against the Federal Government’s proposed Digital Duty of Care laws, which would give Australians the choice of opting-out of social media algorithms.
Advance which ran the main “No” campaign against the Indigenous Voice to parliament aggressively spreads disinformation — much of it pro-fossil fuels — and utilises social media algorithms to spread that disinformation.
Under the proposed Digital Duty of Care laws, the public would be given the choice of removing themselves from social media algorithms, giving people the freedom to have their feeds based on who they follow, instead of being force-fed information.
Advance heavily spruiks that it is pro “freedom”.
“Australia is a nation built on FREEDOM, but power-hungry elites and activists are trying to take it away from you,” its website states.
Our democracy and freedoms are increasingly under attack. Your support for quality independent journalism is vital.
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Thank you,
Anthony Klan
Editor, The Klaxon
