By Denis Hay
Description
Discover how Advance Australia and fossil fuel billionaires crushed the Greens and silenced democracy using disinformation and media manipulation.
Introduction – A Democracy Betrayed
Location: Australia, election night, 2025.
Action: Television screens beam victory speeches; newspapers roll out headlines.
Thoughts: Many Australians feel a strange unease. Was this a win for democracy – or something far more sinister?
Emotion: Suspicion. Betrayal.
Behind the scenes, one group was celebrating – not the voters, but the billionaires and fossil fuel tycoons behind Advance Australia.
Armed with millions from mining magnates and Liberal Party insiders, Advance Australia executed a ruthless disinformation blitz, crushing democratic movements like the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and vilifying the Greens as “extremists.”
This is the true story of how Australia’s democracy was hijacked – and how understanding Australia’s dollar sovereignty offers a way to reclaim it.
🛑 The Problem: Disinformation Campaigns Are Killing Democracy
Advance Australia: Not a Grassroots Movement
Advance Australia claims to represent “ordinary Aussies,” but documents show it is a creation of fossil fuel billionaires and Liberal Party operatives.
Advance Australia’s Origins
Established in 2018, Advance Australia positions itself as a counter to progressive movements. Its leadership comprises former Liberal Party staffers, including Executive Director Matthew Sheahan, the organisation’s true goal: to protect fossil fuel profits at any cost. The group’s campaigns often target progressive policies and parties, notably the Greens and initiatives like the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Donations from fossil fuel companies and associated interests heavily funded Advance Australia’s operations. In the 2022-23 financial year, fossil fuel companies donated millions to political parties and affiliated groups, with Advance receiving significant contributions. Hadley Holdings donated $1.5 million to Advance’s anti-Voice campaign, making it one of the year’s most significant political donations.
• Funding: $500,000 from the Liberal Party’s slush fund.
• Donors: Fossil fuel interests like Hancock Prospecting (Gina Rinehart) and Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy.
Campaign Tactics
Advance employs aggressive advertising strategies, including targeted social media campaigns and controversial billboards. Their “Greens Truth” campaign aimed to discredit the Greens by labelling them as “extreme” and “reckless.” These tactics often involve misinformation and fear-mongering to influence public perception.
Quote:
“Advance isn’t grassroots – it’s gasroots.” – Zali Steggall, MP
Misinformation as a Weapon
Advance’s tactics mirror US-style disinformation:
• Smearing the Greens: Branding them “dangerous extremists” through relentless messaging.
• Killing the Voice: Amplifying lies that an Indigenous Voice would threaten mining projects.
• Manufacturing Outrage: Orchestrating booing at ANZAC Day ceremonies against Indigenous Welcomes.
Their goal: to manipulate citizens through fear, confusion, and division.
🔥 Who Are the Real Winners?
Fossil Fuel Billionaires Pull the Strings
Advance’s brutal campaigns help a small, powerful elite:
• Hancock Prospecting: Wants fewer restrictions on mining sacred Aboriginal sites.
• Beach Energy: Celebrated the Greens’ losses as “good for gas expansion.”
• Minerals Council: Paid for massive ads like “Mining Keeps the Lights On” during the election.
Action: As ordinary Australians fought for justice, billionaires toasted the suppression of Indigenous rights and climate action.
Mainstream outlets like The Australian and Sky News amplified Advance’s message without scrutiny. Even the ABC, cowed by decades of political attacks, failed to provide meaningful resistance.
🌟 Reclaiming Democracy Through Transparency and Sovereignty
1. Strengthen Donation Laws
• Lower disclosure thresholds to expose dark money.
• Cap political donations to limit billionaire influence.
• Real-time transparency for all political funding.
2. Fund Independent Media Through Public Money
• Use Australia’s dollar sovereignty to fund public broadcasters free from commercial and political pressure.
• Invest in fearless journalism to uncover disinformation campaigns.
3. Empower Citizens with Education
• Launch a national media literacy program.
• Teach Australians how to spot manipulation and demand accountability.
Real-World Example:
In Norway, sovereign wealth profits from oil are reinvested into society, not used to fund disinformation. Australia can – and must – do the same.
🧠 A Battle for Australia’s Soul
Advance Australia isn’t protecting democracy – it’s undermining it for profit.
It’s time Australians understood the real forces at play: fossil fuel giants manipulating our politics while waving the flag of patriotism.
With our monetary sovereignty, we have the tools to fund a better, fairer system – one where media serves truth, not tycoons, and every citizen’s voice is heard.
❓Q&A Section
Q1: How did Advance Australia influence the election?
Advance flooded voters with targeted, fear-based disinformation campaigns funded by fossil fuel and mining billionaires to discredit opponents.
Q2: What risks do such campaigns pose to democracy?
They create distrusts, distort public debate, and rig political outcomes toward corporate interests, leaving ordinary Australians powerless.
Q3: How can citizens fight back?
By demanding stronger donation laws, funding independent media with public money, and learning to spot manipulation tactics early.
🚀 Call to Action
If you found this article insightful, visit Social Justice Australia to learn more about political reform and Australia’s monetary sovereignty.
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Advance Australia: another reason why Albo must work towards mandating real time recording of donations to Australian political parties and politicians whilst tightening the access of lobbyists to our political process. Democracy means governing by and for the people, they are the majority; not governing for the interests of the lobbyists, they are the minority.