How deadly is the Afghanistan War?
Coalition nation death rates from 2007 to 2010
Full speech, tables and graphs
The diminishing front page spotlight on Australian federal elections
Media Release
Full Speech and Graphs
Michael Gillies Smith has 25 years experience as a:
- journalist in Australia and Britain
- media adviser with the Australian Government and the Victorian Government, and
- public affairs adviser to corporate, not-for-profit and public sector clients in Australia and around the world.
Since creating Gillies Smith Public Affairs in 2000, Michael has advised many of Australia's leading companies, not-for-profit organisations and government agencies, including Shell, Colgate-Palmolive, Hewlett-Packard, FremantleMedia Australia, The Alfred hospital, the Australian Government's National Curriculum Board, the Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation and the Australian Research Council. Internationally, Michael has advised the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government, the Hong Kong Government, the Georgian National Communications Commission and London-based law firm Amsterdam & Peroff. During the political crisis in Thailand in April and May 2010, Michael was the global media contact for former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his legal counsel, international lawyer Robert Amsterdam. During Australia's 2010 federal election, Michael wrote for ABC's The Drum. In 2011, Michael is working with the Australian Red Cross as its media adviser for emergency services nationally and globally, including Red Cross operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Haiti.
Michael was a senior adviser to cabinet ministers in Australia's Howard Government and Victoria's Kennett Government. He was media adviser to Australia's Minister for Education and Employment (David Kemp) and media adviser to Victoria's Minister for Education (Don Hayward). He was also senior policy adviser to Victoria's Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Tertiary Education (Phil Honeywood). Michael was senior adviser on a Victorian Government delegation to the Middle East, attending ministerial meetings with heads of government in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Syria, Oman and Israel. Michael has visited the Middle East three times. In his early 20s, on his way to London to work as a journalist, he spent six months in war zones in Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Michael was a newspaper journalist for 10 years from the mid 80s to the mid 90s, including four years in London at The Sun and as a senior journalist at the Old Bailey Criminal Court, reporting on the UK's biggest cases for the world's media outlets.
In 2010, Michael was a guest speaker at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) conference Australians at War in Canberra. Michael spoke on the Afghanistan war. He was also a guest speaker at the Centre for Advanced Journalism at the University of Melbourne. In 2009, at the Walkley Foundation Annual Public Affairs Convention in Canberra, Michael spoke on The Diminishing Front Page Spotlight on Australian Federal Elections. The national political editor of Sydney's Daily Telegraph, Malcolm Farr, joined Michael on stage for a panel discussion on the topic. At the National Press Club in Canberra, at the 2nd Annual Government Relations Summit, Michael gave an address on The Role of Controversy in Public Relations. Michael has been a PRIA (Public Relations Institute of Australia) Golden Target Awards judge, guest industry speaker on media and issues management at a number of universities, and PR industry adviser to a TV production company developing a drama series about an international PR firm.