The Sydney millionaire is Rodney O’Neil,a member of a family that made its money in building materials with companies like Australian Blue Metal and Hymix,which was run by his brother,Colin. Thefamily is well known in Sydney’s eastern suburbs,to the point of featuring in a recent article on society weddings. Companies linked to Rodney O’Neil,with names like Nedigi and Sixmilebridge and based in Double Bay,contributed $85,000 to Advance last year. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Another donor is Sam Kennard,head of storage company Kennards,who has helped Advance over several years. His company,Siesta Holdings,gave $20,000 last year and $20,000 the year before. There was no response from Kennards about this donation.
These donors join some who have already been in the headlines for their help for Advance – such as former health company chiefMarcus Blackmore,who donated $20,000 last year.
Blackmore,who emerged with about $334 million from the takeover bid for Blackmores earlier this year,is apublic supporter of the No campaign.
One of the best-known donors to Advance is a former fund manager,Simon Fenwick,who has backed the conservative group for years. He and his wife,Elizabeth,donated $650,000 and $350,000 before the last election. The Fenwick family trust also donated $50,000 last year.
Fenwick worked in stockbroking and funds management in London and New York before returning to Sydney. Earlier this year,he promised to match donations worth up to $250,000to Advance to help stop the Voice.
There is serious money on both sides of this referendum. The Business Council of Australia has publicly backed the Voice and member companies such as BHP,Rio Tinto and Wesfarmers have donated $2 million each to the Yes campaign,while Qantas has put the logo on its aircraft and promised $500,000 in free travel for Yes campaigners.
But the full amount being donated to each campaign will not be known until several months after votes are cast on October 14,under federal rules that delay the disclosure until April 1. This is another example of the weakness of Australian donations law. The payments being made on both sides of this referendum should be revealed now,so Australians can know who is funding the arguments before they cast their votes.
The “outsider” myth is important to the way Advance presents itself and central to the No campaign. When No campaigner Jacinta Nampijinpa Price addressed the National Press Club on Thursday,she framed the Voice as a vehicle for the “elite few” rather than all Australians.
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This referendum is about many things:recognition for Indigenous people in the Constitution,whether to have the Voice enshrined in the Constitution and whether either of these things can really make a difference to the entrenched disadvantage for so many First Australians. People of good faith can argue their case.
But one thing this is not about is a contest between the battlers against the blue-bloods. It is not about outsiders versus insiders – and anyone who follows the money can see why. There’s a word for the money behind the No campaign,and it’s a word the No campaign likes to use a lot:elite.
David Crowe is chief political correspondent.
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