en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Public_Affairs

Institute of Public Affairs


The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is a public policy think tank[1][2][3] based in Melbourne, Australia. It advocates free market economic policies such as privatisation and deregulation of state-owned enterprises, trade liberalisation and deregulated workplaces, continued debate about climate change (through its environmental subsidiary the Australian Environment Foundation), and the accountability 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]
The IPA was founded in the early 1940s, partly in response to the collapse of Australia's main conservative party, the United Australia Party.[original research?] The IPA was one of a number of groups which came together to form the Liberal Party of Australia, and became an important fund raising body for the Liberal Party in Victoria.[5] The IPA returned to prominence as a thinktank in the 1990s, following a merger with the Australian Institute of Public Policy, headed by John Hyde who became Executive Director.

Donors[edit]
The IPA funded by its membership which include both private individuals and businesses. Among these businesses are ExxonMobil,[6] Telstra, WMC Resources, BHP Billiton, Phillip Morris,[7] Murray Irrigation Limited,[8] and Visy Industries.
IPA donors have also included Clough Engineering, Caltex, Shell and Esso.[2] Other donors were electricity and mining companies, as well as British American Tobacco (BAT).[2]
In 2003, the Australian Government paid $50,000 to the Institute of Public Affairs to review the accountability of NGOs.[9][3]

Political links[edit]
The Institute has close ideological and political affinities with the Liberal Party in Australia. For example, John Roskam, the IPA's Executive Director, worked on the Liberal Party's 2001 election campaign.[citation needed] He has also run for Liberal Party preselection.[10] Prime Minister John Howard (Liberal Party) delivered the 60th C D Kemp lecture to the Institute in 2004, titled Iraq: The Importance of Seeing it Through.[11]


How safe are individuals when Liberal Party policies are designed for the benefit of groups like the IPA and against individuals?