National Advisory provides trusted advice and personalised support to deliver strategic outcomes for companies, industry groups and not-for-profits, including with all levels of government.Chaired by former Federal Cabinet Minister Hon Richard Alston AO and with former Departmental Secretary Neville Stevens AO, the National Advisory team has extensive whole-of-government, corporate, industry, regulatory and professional experience across a wide range of portfolios. Individually and together, the team has a proven record driving policy reform, finding solutions to complex problems, running successful campaigns and negotiating major transactions.

David Quilty Consulting advises on government relations, regulatory affairs, communications, stakeholder management, and reputation enhancement. David brings 25 years of experience at the highest political levels of government, a top 10 ASX corporate affairs lead and a national industry association CEO.

National CEO with responsibility for negotiating and overseeing the five-year community pharmacy agreements, pharmacy employer industrial relations, member engagement and service delivery, quality assurance of pharmacies, learning and development, strategic planning, political and stakeholder engagement, public spokesperson, corporate governance, including working with the Guild’s insurance, superannuation, legal, IT and product marketing arms, reporting to National Council, staff of 100+ and $35m annual budget.Achievements: Negotiated and co-signed $18.9 billion Community Pharmacy Agreement in 2015 and further enhanced it in 2017. Achieved major regulatory changes to help secure the future of pharmacies. Assumed responsibility for pharmacy services claims processing nationally; grew pharmacy quality assurance program to 95% of pharmacies; quadrupled Guild L&D revenues; led Modern Award Review for pharmacy employers; developed and implemented strategic plans and reformed the governance of Guild and its companies; ran major political and PR campaigns; built new revenue streams for pharmacies; and significantly enhanced the services for Guild members.

The NSW Telco Authority is a statutory body responsible for whole-of-government coordination of critical communications operational needs for NSW Government agencies and emergency services. I was appointed to the Board as a representative of the Premier

Established and built up consultancy delivering strategic advice to companies and organisations focused on government relations and issues management. Achievements: Helped position industry organisations in the communications, copyright and arts sectors to successfully achieve policy changes and funding to address their longstanding issues of significance.

Responsible for Telstra’s external and internal media and communications, public affairs and issues management, regulatory affairs, government relations, business and industry stakeholder management, corporate social responsibility and reputation, and the Telstra Foundation. Reported directly to the CEO as a member of the CEO Leadership Team, managed a team of 100 staff with annual budget of over $30 million.Achievements: Positioned Telstra in relation to the NBN and broader legislative environment; achieved materially beneficial regulatory results; moved media coverage and stakeholder perceptions from being overwhelmingly negative to positive; doubled positive PR coverage and made Telstra a corporate leader in social media; developed and implemented a Board approved whole-of-company corporate citizenship strategy; provided strategic direction as executive director of the Telstra Foundation, Telstra’s philanthropic arm.

Responsible for government liaison and advocacy on behalf of Telstra on policy and political issues. Personal responsibility for Federal Government Relations and managed a team of State Corporate Affairs Managers with day-to-day responsibility for liaising with State and Territory governments and other state-based stakeholders.Achievements: Helped enable the full sale of Telstra; facilitated closure of the national CDMA mobile network replaced by the Next G network; achieved overall reduction in the regulatory burden on Telstra; successfully campaigned on the importance of broadband and influenced the incoming Federal Government's broadband policy; achieved various state government policy changes and contract opportunities.

The Cabinet Policy Unit was responsible for advising the Prime Minister across portfolios on matters being considered by Cabinet as well as longer term strategic policy and political issues.Achievements: Provided strategic advice to the Prime Minister and Ministers on submissions for Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and Expenditure Review Committee. Responsible for coordinating policies across the government for the 2004 Federal election. Worked with Liberal Party Federal Secretariat devising the 2004 election strategy and tactical campaigning advice.

Chief adviser to the Minister, managing a team of approximately 15 staff. Responsible for providing policy, political, parliamentary and media advice in relation to broadcasting, telecommunications, information industries, the information economy and the arts. Responsible for providing legislative, procedural and tactical advice pertaining to the Senate. Achievements: Implemented reforms across the portfolio including two Telstra sales, opening of the telecommunications market, major enhancements to regional telecommunications and consumer safeguards, introduction of digital television, spectrum sales, digital copyright and moral rights reforms, development of e-commerce framework, venture capital reforms, building the National Museum of Australia and National ICT Centre of Excellence. Led development of portfolio policies for the 1998 and 2001 Federal elections.

Responsible for advising the Prime Minister on health, social security, aged care, disability services, communications, industrial relations, immigration, the environment and indigenous affairs. In this role I liaised closely with Ministers, their staff, departments and external stakeholders. Achievements: Worked with the Prime Minister and Minister delivering major industrial relations reforms. Enabled implementation of broad range of 1996 election policy commitments and bedding down the new government. Played key role in Howard Government’s first budget and managing day-to-day issues.

As the social policy adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, I was responsible for election policies for the 1996 Federal election across a range of portfolios, including industrial relations, health, social security, the environment and communications. Achievements: Successfully developed key election policies and ensured their effective presentation in the run up to and during the 1996 election. Played key role in positioning the Leader for the election, including the drafting of headland speeches and as part of the travelling team in the campaign.