John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I can confirm a number of things. I can confirm that Mark Textor has done polling for the Liberal Party at a federal level since the early 1990s. I can secondly confirm that his advice has been reasonably accurate over the years. I can thirdly confirm that he does research on a large number of things for the Liberal Party. I can fourthly confirm that that research remains confidential. I can fifthly confirm that Mark Textor, along with Lynton Crosby, a very fine former federal director of the Liberal Party, run a successful business and like anybody in business—I mean, you understand that people have more than one client in business; you do know that—they are entitled to have more than one client. In polling they do not operate a closed shop. I know that you have this mentality that a firm is only meant to have one union, but that does not apply in private enterprise. You can actually have more than one client, and Crosby/Textor have got more than one client—and good luck to them. They run a good show. They are good pollsters, and I wish them well.

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