In a night full of celebration, inspiration, and recognition for the industry’s best and brightest, Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA) has announced the winners of its annual Golden Target Awards.

In our view, none were more deserving than our own Elaine Banoub who took home the Professional of the Year award.

Elaine’s 22-year long career in PR is marked by passion for her work and a constant drive for excellence. Balancing her role as a mum of two young children, Elaine’s dedication to her craft is unwavering, leading Primary’s technology, social and tourism client portfolios.

The accolades point to individual excellence but also her commitment to the Primary team and to the industry.

“Elaine’s dedication and approach to her work, as well as her impact on the broader team, make her an unparalleled force in our sector,” said Chris Hall, CEO, Primary Comms Group. “Her commitment to excellence and to fostering growth set her apart as a true leader, embodying the very spirit of our team at Primary.”

Over the past year, Elaine has been instrumental in securing new business to drive Primary’s growth – such as Primary’s first international aviation client – and has proven invaluable during client secondments, seamlessly integrating into their team to maintain momentum and deliver successful programs.

Beyond her own success, Elaine prioritises mentorship, supporting continued professional development within the team and fostering creativity. Elaine has led the development of the “Innovation Lab” and has also found time to mentor PR and comms students at Macquarie University.

Elaine said, “I’m honoured to receive this award and grateful to be recognised alongside such talented professionals. It’s a testament to the hard work of my team and our shared commitment to pushing boundaries in communication. A huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists in the Golden Target Awards, Australia’s most prestigious communication awards program.”

Primary also took home a bronze for its work with Hysata, helping the company achieve Australia’s largest climate tech Series B round in the Corporate Reputation and Management Campaign category.

Local elections in the ACT are hard to get your head around, partly because of the preferential voting system but also because the result doesn’t much matter to anyone living outside the Territory’s borders.

The ACT has had a Labor coalition running it for 23 years. That’s seven terms. Last weekend’s election swapped out the Greens for a block of Independents to share power with Labor.

That shouldn’t be a surprise. Almost four-in-ten Australian Public Service members call the ACT home and building a bigger public sector is what Labor governments do. Plus, the Liberal Opposition didn’t present a convincing case for change.

I briefly lived in the ACT in the 1990s when the population was a touch over 300,000 people. It’s about to hit the half million mark, but the populace’s fondness for being governed by an interventionist, left-of-centre elected body remains in place.

It was a different story in one of the three by-elections in NSW last weekend. The contest in Pittwater will result in Jacqui Scruby becoming the first Teal Member in a State Parliament.

The by-election was triggered by Liberal Rory Amon quitting parliament in August after being charged with child sex offences (which he denies.)

Libs Monica Tudehope took former Premier Dominic Perrottet’s seat of Epping, while James Wallace won ex-Treasurer Matt Kean’s Hornsby spot in a canter. Labor did not contest either seat.

The implications for the Government and Opposition alike are minimal.

Scruby says she wants to work with both sides but will likely vote with Labor.  The Liberal brand is on the nose after the local government nominations farce but the number of contenders wanting to knock off Opposition Leader Mark Speakman will fit in a phone box. For now.

Craig Regan, Senior Account Director, Primary Communication

The only poll that counts is an election and all that stuff, but none of the litmus tests for the Albanese Government or the Dutton Opposition are good news for either. 

This week’s Newspoll showed both leaders had an approval rating of minus 13 and voters split 50-50 on a two-party preferred basis. 

Newspoll says a hung Parliament would have resulted if an election had been held last weekend, with The Greens, Teals and independents holding the balance of power. 

All talk in the months ahead will be about circuit breakers. History shows that the more desperate a government becomes in its search for one, the more it cocks up. 

A prime example is this week’s attempt by Treasurer Jim Chalmers to blame enduring high inflation on the Reserve Bank.  

A cut in interest rates could lift the Government’s stocks, but publicly pressuring the independent Board of the Reserve is not going to bring it about. 

The more time a government appears to spend talking about non-mainstream issues – like an inclusion question in the Census, the timing of a Prime Ministerial wedding or divisions in its ranks about the Gaza conflict– the more disconnected it looks from mainstream issues. 

Remember when Scott Morrison tried to rally his base on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with a conversation about transgender sport in the 2022 election? He was actually toast before that, and it hindered more than it helped.  

Once elected, Anthony Albanese made a bonfire of his own political capital by not explaining his proposed Voice and hasn’t had any momentum since.  

Politicians since Ronald Reagan have wallowed in parroting “it’s about the economy, stupid”, but the smart ones know that it’s really about the economic impact on people.  

Absurd populism (like The Greens’ fantasy of a tax on company profits) won’t change things, but is anyone listening to major parties at this stage of the game?   

Craig Regan, Senior Account Director, Primary Communication

His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia welcomed Scouts to the grounds of Government House for the first time ever from Sunday 14 to Friday 19 April.

This historic occasion saw 1,400 Scouts from across Australia converge upon the grounds.  The Scouts Australia Camp marked a monumental milestone as the first-ever instance of Government House opening its doors to the Scouts community, promising a week of unparalleled adventure, camaraderie, and personal growth.

Primary spearheaded an extensive media campaign in less than three days, championing Scouts as an opportunity for youth to engage in an adventurous, enriching, and inclusive program.

The outreach efforts led by Primary resulted in comprehensive coverage for Scouts Australia, spanning across television, radio, print, and online media nationally and across various states.

Particularly noteworthy were the comprehensive TV features on WIN News and Channel 7, which effectively showcased Scouts Australia as the exciting, challenging, and inclusive adventure that it is for young people, enhancing the visibility and appeal of the Scouts’ dynamic, curated experiences.