Tony Harrison (lobbyist)
Encyclopedia
Tony Harrison is a communications consultant from Tasmania
who has worked in journalism
and public relations
, marketing
and government relations. He is a former political journalist and former press secretary
to two Tasmanian Premiers. Tony Harrison was a former corporate affairs manager with the Australian Tourist Commission. He is Executive Chairman of Tasmanian public relations, marketing and government relations consultancy, Corporate Communications (Tas) Pty Ltd and a majority shareholder of the business. Tony Harrison has been involved in providing high-level corporate advice and political lobbying services to clients in Tasmania and Australia
, as well as overseeing community consultation programs for the corporate sector and for government. He is the former National President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia
(PRIA) and past President of the PRIA in Tasmania. He has won awards for public relations and marketing including a PRIA National Golden Target Gold Award in 2000 and 2003 for government communication. The consultancy has won a National Golden Target Gold award. Tony Harrison was also awarded a special Tasmania Day Award for his service to the public relations profession. Outside the business, Tony Harrison is a Director of Cricket Australia
(the former ACB) and Chairman of Cricket Tasmania
, and a member of the Council of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
(AICD). Tony is a Fellow of the AICD and a Fellow of the PRIA. In 2003 he was awarded the President’s award by the Public Relations Institute of Australia for his contribution to the profession at a national level.
Boards and management
Tony Harrison is well respected in the Tasmanian political and business community as an expert in the communications field. Tony Harrison has been an advisor/board member to a variety of bodies and individuals including: • Member of the Consumer Affairs Council of Tasmania • Member of the Small Business Group of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is the peak employer group in Tasmania • Chairman and Director of the Cricket Tasmania • Director of Cricket Australia • Member of the Board of the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research • Member of the Heart Foundation committee, which is a business fund-raising committee of the National Heart Foundation • Advisor to the inaugural Trust Bank Foundation, a body established to provide funds for charitable and community causes • Member of the State Taxation Consultative Forum advising the Tasmanian Government on likely industry and public reactions to taxation reform • Advisor to Glenview Home for the Aged • Council member and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in Tasmania.
Positions held within the public relations profession in Australia
Tony Harrison was made a Member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) in Tasmania in June 1985 and was immediately elected to the Tasmanian Council of the PRIA. In 1987 he was elected Tasmanian Vice President and retained the position for two years before his election as Tasmanian President, a position he held from 1989 until 1993. Tony Harrison was elected as Tasmania’s representative on the national Council of the PRIA in 1989. He was elected national Vice President in 1991 until 1995 and in 1995 was elected national President retaining the position for two years.
Tasmanian contribution:
Tony Harrison was on the PRIA Tasmanian Council for approximately 12 years and served as Vice President for two years followed by four years as Tasmanian President. He was involved in the organisation of two national conferences
held in Tasmania and was chairman of a highly successful 1992 Hobart event. Tony Harrison was instrumental in establishing the Tasmanian Awards for Excellence in conjunction with two sister organisations, the Australian Marketing Institute and the Advertising Club of Tasmania and chaired the Awards committee for three terms. The Tasmanian awards became the benchmark for the establishment of similar State-based awards programs throughout Australia.
National contribution:
At a national level, Tony Harrison was an inaugural member of the National Board of the PRIA following the restructuring of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. As a Board member, he headed the national Continuing Professional Education Committee which oversaw the introduction of a national program of compulsory continuing professional education for all PRIA members.
Other contributions to the public relations profession:
Tony Harrison has contributed to the advancement of the public relations profession in Australia at an international level. In 1996, he travelled to the United Kingdom
to initiate talks with the Institute of Public Relations in London
about reciprocal industry activities. In 1997 he visited Singapore
and Malaysia as a representative of the PRIA to be a keynote speaker in consecutive industry professional development seminars. He was a keynote speaker at the 1993 PRIA national convention in Sydney
, the 1996 Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Convention in Rotorua
, New Zealand
and the 1997 joint PRIA/PRINZ convention in Auckland
. He also chaired the 1997 Public Relations Industry Summit in Sydney.
Special recognition for PRIA contribution:
In 1995, Tony Harrison received the Tasmanian President's Award for his contribution to the Tasmanian public relations profession. In March 1998, Tony Harrison was presented with a special commendation from the National Board of the PRIA in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Public Relations Institute of Australia.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
who has worked in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and government relations. He is a former political journalist and former press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
to two Tasmanian Premiers. Tony Harrison was a former corporate affairs manager with the Australian Tourist Commission. He is Executive Chairman of Tasmanian public relations, marketing and government relations consultancy, Corporate Communications (Tas) Pty Ltd and a majority shareholder of the business. Tony Harrison has been involved in providing high-level corporate advice and political lobbying services to clients in Tasmania and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as overseeing community consultation programs for the corporate sector and for government. He is the former National President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia
Public Relations Institute of Australia
The Public Relations Institute of Australia is the representation body for public relations and communication professionals in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and promotes high ethical standards in the public relations and communication industry in Australia through accredited membership and...
(PRIA) and past President of the PRIA in Tasmania. He has won awards for public relations and marketing including a PRIA National Golden Target Gold Award in 2000 and 2003 for government communication. The consultancy has won a National Golden Target Gold award. Tony Harrison was also awarded a special Tasmania Day Award for his service to the public relations profession. Outside the business, Tony Harrison is a Director of Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia, formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket...
(the former ACB) and Chairman of Cricket Tasmania
Cricket Tasmania
Cricket Tasmania is the administrative body for cricket in Tasmania, Australia, and they are based at Bellerive Oval....
, and a member of the Council of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is Australia's leading membership body for directors in Australia and the leading Australian not-for-profit corporate governance organisation....
(AICD). Tony is a Fellow of the AICD and a Fellow of the PRIA. In 2003 he was awarded the President’s award by the Public Relations Institute of Australia for his contribution to the profession at a national level.
Boards and management
Tony Harrison is well respected in the Tasmanian political and business community as an expert in the communications field. Tony Harrison has been an advisor/board member to a variety of bodies and individuals including: • Member of the Consumer Affairs Council of Tasmania • Member of the Small Business Group of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is the peak employer group in Tasmania • Chairman and Director of the Cricket Tasmania • Director of Cricket Australia • Member of the Board of the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research • Member of the Heart Foundation committee, which is a business fund-raising committee of the National Heart Foundation • Advisor to the inaugural Trust Bank Foundation, a body established to provide funds for charitable and community causes • Member of the State Taxation Consultative Forum advising the Tasmanian Government on likely industry and public reactions to taxation reform • Advisor to Glenview Home for the Aged • Council member and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in Tasmania.
Positions held within the public relations profession in Australia
Tony Harrison was made a Member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) in Tasmania in June 1985 and was immediately elected to the Tasmanian Council of the PRIA. In 1987 he was elected Tasmanian Vice President and retained the position for two years before his election as Tasmanian President, a position he held from 1989 until 1993. Tony Harrison was elected as Tasmania’s representative on the national Council of the PRIA in 1989. He was elected national Vice President in 1991 until 1995 and in 1995 was elected national President retaining the position for two years.
Tasmanian contribution:
Tony Harrison was on the PRIA Tasmanian Council for approximately 12 years and served as Vice President for two years followed by four years as Tasmanian President. He was involved in the organisation of two national conferences
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
held in Tasmania and was chairman of a highly successful 1992 Hobart event. Tony Harrison was instrumental in establishing the Tasmanian Awards for Excellence in conjunction with two sister organisations, the Australian Marketing Institute and the Advertising Club of Tasmania and chaired the Awards committee for three terms. The Tasmanian awards became the benchmark for the establishment of similar State-based awards programs throughout Australia.
National contribution:
At a national level, Tony Harrison was an inaugural member of the National Board of the PRIA following the restructuring of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. As a Board member, he headed the national Continuing Professional Education Committee which oversaw the introduction of a national program of compulsory continuing professional education for all PRIA members.
Other contributions to the public relations profession:
Tony Harrison has contributed to the advancement of the public relations profession in Australia at an international level. In 1996, he travelled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to initiate talks with the Institute of Public Relations in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
about reciprocal industry activities. In 1997 he visited Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia as a representative of the PRIA to be a keynote speaker in consecutive industry professional development seminars. He was a keynote speaker at the 1993 PRIA national convention in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, the 1996 Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Convention in Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the 1997 joint PRIA/PRINZ convention in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. He also chaired the 1997 Public Relations Industry Summit in Sydney.
Special recognition for PRIA contribution:
In 1995, Tony Harrison received the Tasmanian President's Award for his contribution to the Tasmanian public relations profession. In March 1998, Tony Harrison was presented with a special commendation from the National Board of the PRIA in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Public Relations Institute of Australia.