Sydney broker Joseph Daoud brings his anti-Budget campaign to the skies ahead of charity tennis match with the prime minister
Sydney mortgage broker Joseph Daoud took his "Stop the Ambition Tax" campaign to new heights on Tuesday, with skywriters spelling out "STOP THE TAX" over Parliament House in Canberra just hours before he faced off against prime minister Anthony Albanese in a charity tennis match at The Lodge.
An aerial banner reading "STOP TAXING AMBITION" flew simultaneously over Brisbane, in federal treasurer Jim Chalmers' own electorate of Rankin.
it's the latest chapter in a campaign Daoud – founder of It's Simple Finance – has waged since the government's changes to capital gains tax (CGT) and negative gearing were confirmed in the federal budget.
Daoud previously spent $17,000 on billboard advertising inside Canberra Airport targeting politicians as they arrived for a sitting week, and won the chance to play tennis against the prime minister at a charity auction earlier this year.
MPA catches up with Daoud at Sydney Airport
Ahead of his flight to Canberra, Daoud spoke with MPA curbside at Sydney Airport.
"I'm looking forward to the tennis, but I'm more excited to have actual consultation with the prime minister," Daoud told MPA.
"Unfortunately, a double fault was served when this budget was legislated, and we saw a victory lap afterwards. It's not a good thing.
"There are everyday Australians that have been affected by this, and we just want to make sure their concerns are heard."
Joining Daoud in the venture are three everyday Australians: Single mother Samantha Campbell, who has spent 16 years building her business; a specialist who helps public servants with their retirement savings; and a recent migrant who moved to Australia in search of a better way of life.
Asked whether he expected any genuine policy change to come from the meeting, Daoud was candid. "I don't know," he said. "We live in a democracy, and all we can hope for is that the opinions of concerned Australians are heard."
The mood lightened when talk turned to the match itself. "I expect long rallies, I expect a lot of fun. At the end of the day, we're playing tennis."
Also speaking curbside, Daoud's tennis coash gave a brief assessment of Daoud's on-court progress: "His form is not bad, in a short time span." Whether that's enough to clinch a victory against the MP remains to be seen.
"I'm a single mum," Campbell said. "I started my business more than 16 years ago and I've scaled it, pivoted it and grown it through every challenge you can imagine. I did that on my own, and I did it for my kids.
"I'm finally at the point where I can secure my family's future and start building something for my kids and their kids. And just as I get there, a government that hasn't listened to people like me pulls the rug out. That's why I'm going to Canberra. I want the Prime Minister to hear it from someone who's actually lived it."
