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:''This article is about an Australian think tank. For the Polish think tank, see [[Institute of Public Affairs, Poland]].'' |
:''This article is about an Australian think tank. For the Polish think tank, see [[Institute of Public Affairs, Poland]].'' |
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The '''Institute of Public Affairs''' ('''IPA''') is a [[think tank]] based in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]] that has been variously described by commentators as [[conservative]] {{Fact|date=January 2008}} and [[libertarian]] {{Fact|date=January 2008}}. |
The '''Institute of Public Affairs''' ('''IPA''') is a [[think tank]] based in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]] that has been variously described by commentators as [[conservative]] {{Fact|date=January 2008}} and [[libertarian]] {{Fact|date=January 2008}}. |
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John Roskam, its current Executive Director, denies that it is right-wing.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/thinkers-of-influence/2005/12/09/1134086810518.html?page=fullpage Thinkers of influence - National - theage.com.au<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The IPA was founded in [[1943]] by [[Charles Kemp]], and has had close links to the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] since its inception.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} It is funded by its membership and also by corporate interest groups |
John Roskam, its current Executive Director, denies that it is right-wing.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/thinkers-of-influence/2005/12/09/1134086810518.html?page=fullpage Thinkers of influence - National - theage.com.au<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The IPA was founded in [[1943]] by [[Charles Kemp]], and has had close links to the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] since its inception.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} It is funded by its membership and also by corporate interest groups including Murray Irrigation Limited <ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/rural/vic/stories/s1124703.htm Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Country Hour, 2004]</ref>, Visyboard, Telstra, Western Mining, BHP Billiton and the tobacco industry<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/thinkers-of-influence/2005/12/09/1134086810518.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 "Thinkers of Influence", The Age,December 10, 2005]</ref> (and also [[Gunns Limited]] and [[Monsanto]]{{Fact|date=February 2008}} ). |
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==Ideology== |
==Ideology== |
Revision as of 11:59, 25 March 2008
- This article is about an Australian think tank. For the Polish think tank, see Institute of Public Affairs, Poland.
The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is a think tank based in Melbourne, Australia that has been variously described by commentators as conservative [citation needed] and libertarian [citation needed]. John Roskam, its current Executive Director, denies that it is right-wing.[1] The IPA was founded in 1943 by Charles Kemp, and has had close links to the Liberal Party since its inception.[citation needed] It is funded by its membership and also by corporate interest groups including Murray Irrigation Limited [2], Visyboard, Telstra, Western Mining, BHP Billiton and the tobacco industry[3] (and also Gunns Limited and Monsanto[citation needed] ).
Ideology
The IPA advocates for neoliberal economic policies such as privatisation and deregulation of state-owned enterprises, trade liberalisation and deregulated workplaces, scepticism on climate change (through its environmental front group the Australian Environment Foundation), and a weakening of the influence of non-government organisations (NGOs).[citation needed] In its own words, the Institute believes in "the free market of ideas, the free flow of capital, a limited and efficient government, the rule of law, and representative democracy."[4]
Political links
The Institute is officially independent of any political party, but has been linked to the Liberal Party since the IPA's inception in 1943 (The Liberal Party is Australia's main conservative party).[citation needed] John Roskam, the IPA's Executive Director, worked on the Liberal Party's 2001 election campaign. He has also run for Liberal Party preselection - and missed out - "several times".[5]
Research focus
Since the early 1980s, the Institute has argued the case for a range of neoliberal public policies, such as:
- lower taxation;
- deregulation of the Australian economy particularly as affecting industrial relations and trade unionism;
- privatisation of government businesses and reduced government spending;
- greater transparency in government;
- alleged left wing ideological bias in Australia's national broadcaster - the publicly funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation;
- a free market approach to environmental problems, and criticism of the science behind climate change;
- the elimination of existing programs of welfare targeted at Indigenous Australians, with the stated aim of encouraging the transition to work, self-reliance and high incomes.
The IPA has affiliations with think tanks in the U.S., Canada, UK and Asia. It has a particularly close relationship with the American Enterprise Institute.
IPA publications are highly critical of the operations of many NGO's, particularly in their interaction with governments and with international agencies. The IPA criticises some NGO's as lacking in transparency. A recent government-commissioned IPA report recommended a 'protocol' for greater transparency about the nature and extent of these interactions.
Climate change
The IPA adopts a position of climate change scepticism.[6] It promotes the views of two of the prominent Australian climate change sceptics, Bob Carter and Ian Plimer. While the IPA supports elements of climate change science, including some link between the use of fossil fuels and rising carbon dioxide levels, it adopts a contrarian viewpoint in relation to many aspects of climate change. Jennifer Marohasy supports the view that many environmental issues, including climate change, are exaggerated, and that green groups promote solutions that ultimately do not benefit society.[7]
Staff
John Roskam is the institute's executive director. Prior to his employment at the IPA, Roskam was the Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre in Canberra. He has also held positions as Chief of Staff to Dr David Kemp, the Federal Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, as Senior Advisor to Don Hayward, Victorian Minister for Education in the first Kennett Government, and as Manager of Government and Corporate Affairs for Rio Tinto Group.[8] He is currently undertaking a PhD and teaching politics at the University of Melbourne.
Other staff include:
- Dr Mike Nahan, Senior Fellow
- Dr Alan Moran, Director, Deregulation Unit
- Dr Jennifer Marohasy, Director, Environment Unit
- Hon Dr Gary Johns, Director, Governance Unit (an ex-Hawke Labor minister)
- Mr Jim Hoggett, Senior Fellow
- Mr Don D'Cruz, Senior Fellow
- Mr John Hyde, Emeritus Fellow
- Mr Ken Phillips, Director Workplace Reform Unit
- Mr Chris Berg, Editor, IPA Review
- Mr Tim Wilson, Research Fellow
- Ms Louise Staley, Research Fellow
Publications
The IPA Review is published quarterly. ISSN 1329-8100 - January 2008 is Volume 59/4.
See also
Notes
- ^ Thinkers of influence - National - theage.com.au
- ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Country Hour, 2004
- ^ "Thinkers of Influence", The Age,December 10, 2005
- ^ Institute of Public Affairs | About IPA
- ^ Party faces choice new blood or not, The Age, 17 June 2005
- ^ Institute of Public Affairs | Climate Change
- ^ Jennifer Marohasy blog
- ^ Institute of Public Affairs | Biography | John Roskam
External links
- Institute of Public Affairs
- Sourcewatch, Institute of Public Affairs
- IPA in the News: Flaws Remain in Bringing Them Home
- Media Watch criticises IPA writer Michael Warby - Media Watch transcript