Hands-on Epstein to take miner's fight to Canberra Damon Kitney and Steve Creedy From: The Australian September 11, 2010 12:00AM
BHP Billiton has a new ally for future policy negotiations with the Labor government after the surprise appointment of David Epstein.
The Qantas executive is to join BHP as its public affairs chief
Mr Epstein, who is currently group executive of government and corporate affairs at Qantas, will quit the airline in December to take up his new role with the mining giant.
BHP's current head of public affairs, former Labor national secretary Geoff Walsh, will become a special adviser to chief executive Marius Kloppers.
Mr Walsh has developed a close association with Mr Kloppers since joining BHP in November 2007.
Before he moved to Qantas in November 2008, Mr Epstein was the chief of staff for prime minister Kevin Rudd and was considered one of the government's most experienced operators. He was previously the director of the ANiMaLS media liaison office during the Hawke and Keating years and was a communications director at Labor's national secretariat and chief of staff to opposition leader Kim Beazley.
He also worked for lobbyists Government Relations Australia.
Mr Epstein is close friends with Mr Walsh and was approached directly by Mr Kloppers to take up the new role.
It is understood Mr Epstein was also pursued for his administrative skills, which some observers said yesterday has not been a strength of Mr Walsh. "Peter did not want to get hands-on in running the public affairs division and David will certainly do that," one said yesterday.
Others claimed there was some concern within BHP that the company was caught out by the government's fierce determination to impose the resource super-profits tax, which prompted a massive backlash from the major miners.
The tax was subsequently modified and renamed the mineral resources rent tax.
The compromise also saw the government establish a consultative committee on the tax, staffed by former BHP chairman Don Argus. Treasurer Wayne Swan vowed this week that the tax would remain in place under the new government and that it would push ahead with the Argus mining tax implementation committee, due to report in December.
Mr Epstein said yesterday that he was departing under amicable terms.
He said family considerations were part of his decision.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said BHP Billiton and Qantas enjoyed a strong relationship.
"During the two years David has been at Qantas he has made a strong contribution to our relationships with the media and government, as well as working on issues like Jetstar Pacific," he said in a note to staff yesterday.
He said succession arrangements for Mr Epstein would be announced before he leaves Qantas.
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation executive chairman Peter Harbison said BHP's gain would be a loss for Mr Joyce.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the mining sector, Rio Tinto has hired former Tabcorp manager of corporate affairs, Bruce Tobin, in its public affairs division.
