One of Australia’s leading government relations and public affairs practitioners, Eamonn Fitzpatrick currently advises some of the nation’s highest profile companies and organisations on effectively working with all levels of government.

Eamonn is the Director of Hawker Britton’s Queensland office, also takes primary responsibility for NSW matters and leads the company’s public affairs, communications and issues management practice.

He also has an unrivalled background in government and communications at State and Federal level having been senior press secretary to two Australian Prime Ministers, the Director of NSW Government Communications, principal media adviser to two Australian Premiers (in NSW and Queensland) and senior ministers. He has also served as Director of Strategy to Federal Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten.

In addition to government relations strategy, Eamonn offers clients high-level strategic communications, government relations and media relations advice – including crisis media management and media training – and an unrivalled insight into the workings of Australian and international news media.

Eamonn has been involved with election campaigns across Australia spanning two decades and continues to play senior roles in state and federal elections for Labor leaders, most recently in WA, Qld and Tasmania.

Eamonn began his career as a journalist with Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post and later worked for The Sydney Morning Herald. Eamonn previously led global communications for The Fred Hollows Foundation, one of the world’s leading eye health NGOs. He is currently on the board of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a national charity dedicated to protecting children from violence and abuse.

One of Australia’s leading government relations and public affairs practitioners, Eamonn Fitzpatrick currently advises some of the nation’s highest profile companies and organisations on effectively working with all levels of government.

Simon Banks is one of Australia’s most highly respected government relations, campaigning and strategic communications professionals.

Since 2007, Simon has advised some of Australia’s and the world’s largest companies on significant commercial transactions requiring Commonwealth Government approvals.

Following the 2010 Federal election, Simon served as one of the four “wise elders” that helped the Government, Opposition and country Independent MPs agree on the historic parliamentary reforms which were central to the return of the Gillard Government.

Prior to joining Hawker Britton, Simon served as Chief of Staff or Deputy Chief of Staff to three Federal Labor Leaders and has been Federal Labor’s director of policy and a senior policy and media adviser to a number of Labor ministers and shadow ministers.

Over more than twenty years, Simon has worked closely with most of Federal Labor’s frontbench, Caucus and senior staff.

Simon understands the corporate world, having worked in public affairs and strategic policy roles for Telstra and Toll Holdings and as a consultant. His understanding of the government relations strategy needs of business, public policy and politics in Australia is unrivalled in the Canberra lobbying market.

A lawyer by training, Simon has extensive campaign experience. He managed the high-profile online Kevin07 campaign during the 2007 Federal election and ran the uniquely successful ACT campaigns for the Constitutional Convention election and the Republic Referendum.

A published commentator on public policy, Simon regularly comments on policy and political developments on both the ABC and Sky News.

Matt Hingerty is one of the most experienced political and industry figures working in government relations consulting in Australia. He leads Barton Deakin’s national government relations business and is responsible for all client quality assurance along with assisting Barton Deakin’s clients in the NSW and Commonwealth jurisdictions.

Matt’s career has spanned the highest level of state and federal Liberal/National governments and been a senior industry representative for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Barton Deakin, he worked as a Ministerial Chief of Staff for the first 15 months of the O’Farrell Government. He was also Chief of Staff to minister Joe Hockey in the Howard Government, an adviser to Peter Collins as Opposition Leader in NSW and an adviser to NSW Premier John Fahey and several ministers throughout the Greiner-Fahey Governments from 1988 to1995.

In the world of industry representation, Matt has worked as the Managing Director of the Australian Tourism Export Council, with TTF Australia and the NSW Minerals Council.

Matt has a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Business Administration Degree.

He is married with four children and lives on the NSW Central Coast. He is a member of the MacMasters Beach SLSC, the Central Coast Cycling Club, and the GWS Giants.

Katrina brings a wealth of experience and contacts to the Barton Deakin team, gathered over 30 years in both the private and public sectors.

Katrina Hodgkinson is one of the most respected and experienced former National Party Ministers of the NSW Parliament, with over 20 years’ experience in in both state and federal parliaments.

Katrina has been involved in election campaigns at a state and national level for decades.  She was NSW’s first female Minister for Primary Industries (including Lands and Water) over a four year period in the O’Farrell and Baird Coalition Governments, responsible for overseeing major reform of primary industries government agencies.  Katrina was also Minister for Small Business and Assistant Minister for Tourism and Major Events, as well as the first Parliamentary Secretary for Southern NSW.

In Opposition Katrina served as a Shadow Minister in a number of portfolios including Natural Resource Management, Tourism and Major Events, Community Services, Families & Child Safety, Small Business, Fair Trading and Rural Affairs.

Prior to entering parliament, Katrina served as a Ministerial Adviser to Senator the Hon. Nick Minchin in diverse areas including natural resources, science, native title and the Constitutional Convention.  Katrina also has more than a decade of experience owning and operating her own retail small businesses.

John-Paul is a Director at Hawker Britton’s Victorian Office where he specialises in providing strategic advice to business on the operations of both the Victorian Government and Federal Labor Opposition.

Having worked in a senior role for the Premier of Victoria and for the Federal Leader of the Opposition John-Paul is highly regarded by both the political and organisational wings of the labour movement in Victoria and nationally.

Additionally, having worked closely with the central and ancillary departments to develop briefs for the Victorian Cabinet he is expert on the processes of government. This provides John-Paul with rare insight into identifying relevant government targets within a decision-making process at a particular point of time.

John-Paul has been involved in all election campaigns based out of Victoria in recent times and continues to play a key role in providing strategic thought within the labour movement.

Being a senior elected official for the Australian Workers’ Union for more than ten years John-Paul provides a level of detail and expertise into the world of industrial relations and the labour movement that is second to none and an invaluable resource for clients.

John-Paul has completed a MBA from a Group of Eight University; BExSc (Hons); and a BHlthSc and continues to advance his learnings. He is also well regarded in the sporting industry where he continues to serve as a Director of both the Australian Netball Players’ Association and the Victorian Jockeys Association where he advocates for the rights of members.

John Griffin is one of Australia’s most experienced government relations and political strategy advisers and is highly sought-after in both the corporate and political arenas.

As head of Barton Deakin’s Melbourne office, he advises Barton Deakin’s corporate clients on their working relationship with the Victorian Opposition. Given his extensive federal experience, John also assists Melbourne-based clients with their Federal Government work.

John has more than 30 years’ history as an adviser to Coalition governments and oppositions in Canberra and Victoria. In the federal political arena John has served as Legislative Assistant to Senator Robert Hill, Private Secretary to the Hon. John Howard during his first period as Opposition Leader, Parliamentary and Policy Consultant to the Liberal Party Federal Secretariat and as Senior Private Secretary to Dr John Hewson where he and Tony Abbott were colleagues.

After working on the Victorian Coalition’s successful 1992 state election campaign, John was appointed Chief of Staff to the Hon. Jeff Kennett and served in that position for five years, including Mr Kennett’s successful 1996 re-election campaign.

Since 1997, John has been a successful government relations and issues management adviser to a variety of Australian and international corporations. He has also advised government agencies and private sector companies in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

John has continued to assist the Liberal and National Parties on a number of state and federal election campaigns as a senior political strategist and policy adviser including playing a key role in the successful 2013 federal election campaign.