Plane writes ‘Stop the Tax’ over Canberra as anti-budget campaign targets Albanese
A light aircraft spelled out “STOP THE TAX” over Canberra on Tuesday morning, giving Australia’s capital a rare political message delivered from the sky. The
A light aircraft spelled out “STOP THE TAX” over Canberra on Tuesday morning, giving Australia’s capital a rare political message delivered from the sky. The stunt came as Sydney mortgage broker Joseph Daoud arrived in town for a charity tennis match with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at The Lodge.
Daoud commissioned the aerial display himself. A second message, “STOP TAXING AMBITION,” flew over Brisbane at the same time, widening his campaign beyond the federal capital.
Campaign pushed into the skies
Daoud is the founder of It’s Simple Finance and the face of the Stop the Ambition Tax campaign. He says the federal government’s changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing will hit small business owners and investors.
Simple message. Big target.
He has already spent $17,000 on billboard advertising inside Canberra Airport, aimed at politicians arriving for a sitting week. Now he has taken the fight above Parliament House, just hours before stepping on court with the prime minister in a charity match he won the chance to play through an auction earlier this year.
Canberra used to it, but not like this
Canberra is accustomed to political messages landing in Parliament, at press conferences or on the lawns outside. On Tuesday, the sky became the billboard.
The timing was unmistakable. Daoud brought his anti-budget campaign to the capital as debate continues over Labor’s tax agenda, including changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing confirmed in the federal budget. Separate reporting has also flagged potential changes to trust taxation, part of a broader tax rethink that has unsettled wealthier families and business owners.
In Brisbane, the banner reading “STOP TAXING AMBITION” appeared over the electorate of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, giving the campaign a second flashpoint in the same morning.
Daoud was blunt about the purpose of the trip when speaking before heading to Canberra: “I’m looking forward to the tennis, but I’m more excited t…”
