Simon Holmes à Court has disputed the Coalition’s claims that Climate 200 is connected to Gazette News, an organisation they allege is spreading disinformation and supporting teal independent candidates. He made these remarks during an appearance at the National Press Club.
There is no association between Climate 200 and Gazette News, according to Holmes à Court, who is the founder of Climate 200. He remarked that he only knew Gazette’s founder from her previous business endeavors, finding her media start-up to be quite interesting.
Holmes à Court asserted the importance of media transparency, which he believed has been lacking for years.
Gazette was founded by Anna Saulwick in 2024. She stated that financial backing for Gazette comes from Matt Doran, James Taylor, and Mark Rawson.
According to AEC disclosures, Doran has donated significant sums to Climate 200 over recent years. Additionally, Taylor contributed to both Climate 200 and a Climate 200-backed Senate candidate, David Pocock.
The shadow minister of state, Jane Hume, lodged a complaint with the AEC claiming Gazette News is running a disinformation campaign funded by Climate 200 and supported by teal MPs and candidates. She questioned the teals’ commitment to transparency in light of these allegations.
Anna Saulwick, the founder of Gazette, responded by affirming her company’s independence and refuting any ties to political groups. She noted that in a country with a small pool of philanthropists, Gazette is pleased to have support from individuals whose values align with their journalistic mission.
Gazette News operates several digital papers covering metropolitan and regional areas of Australia, often focusing on local news and political profiles, as well as advocating against the Coalition’s nuclear policy.
In terms of spending, Climate 200 has invested heavily in online advertising through their social media platforms, with spending tracked by Meta at nearly $330,000 in the past 30 days.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/12/climate-200-denies-any-link-to-publisher-accused-of-disinformation-and-promoting-teals-ntwnfb
