Cornerstone Group is a national bipartisan government relations and strategic communications consultancy with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Our team consists of former government ministers and political party leaders, policy advisors, media and communications professionals and public affairs specialists.

Firm Specialty

Our role is to simplify the complex. We have unrivalled insights into the inner workings of government, bureaucracy and the regulatory landscape as well as significant reach into media and communications channels. We help clients navigate regulatory, legislative and public affairs challenges by harnessing our collective skills and experience to deliver superior outcomes.

Our advisory Board members - former Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge, former long-serving Federal Minister and Australian Labor Party Leader, Simon Crean and former Federal Coalition Minister, Craig Laundy - bring unparalleled, bipartisan experience in the political and public policy arena to supplement Cornerstone’s executive team.

Cornerstone’s clients are spread across a diverse range of industries from medical care to defence, resources, gaming and wagering, hospitality, financial services, renewable energy, the gig economy and transport, to name a few.

Our formidable range of contacts span the breadth of Australia’s key decision-makers, both at a state and Federal level as well as within the boardrooms of corporate Australia and with peak industry bodies, interest groups and the media.

We look forward to bringing our unique offering to your organisation.

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Nick Melas has been a respected senior government affairs professional for over a decade. With a strong reputation for trusted and strategic professional advice, he maximises engagement with government to ensure that clients secure their organisational objectives.

Through experience in both the government and corporate sectors, Nick brings a deep understanding of the issues facing many sectors and how to navigate political and public policy systems to achieve results. After studying Political Science and Industrial Relations at the University of NSW, he worked in the offices of the Hon. Gary Punch MP, Minister for Defence, Science and Personnel, and the Hon. Robert McClelland MP, Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations.

He has a strong track record of advising local and international clients in all areas of legislation, regulation and the broader public policy development process at the federal and state government levels. His bipartisan approach and strategic insights into the political risks and opportunities for his clients, and the broader sectors in which they operate, ensure that they can leverage and/or defend their strengths and weaknesses.

Nick has successfully represented client interests across banking and finance, transport infrastructure, telecommunications, health and resources. He has developed specific expertise in the gig economy, retail, IT / digital transformation and constructions sectors

Joseph Tannous has established the strategic direction and operational structure of Cornerstone based on his experience in advocacy, government relations and public policy making.

A strong background in local government, combined with an intrinsic ability to shape public policy, has made Cornerstone, under Joseph’s leadership, the industry leader it is today.

Joseph’s negotiating skills and strategic acumen were honed identifying commercial opportunities in international transit and channel management, particularly in China and India.

In recognition of his expertise, Joseph was appointed as the youngest ever board member of the Australian Federation of International Forwarders. Joseph brings a passion for advocating positive change with an inherent talent for identifying improvements in political planning and operational techniques.

Through his long and successful contributions to the political processes across all levels of government, Joseph has developed proactive working relationships with leaders at all levels of the political spectrum. This combination of experience, personal rapport and a natural instinct for what could and should be done to improve public policy has made Joseph a highly regarded advocate and a trusted political advisor.

In the constant flux of politics Joseph focuses on creating and consolidating the bipartisan lines of communication between business and government that deliver on objectives and achieve results.