Institute of Public Affairs
The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is a conservative non-profit free market public policy think tank,[2][3][4] which is based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It advocates free-market economic policies, such as privatisation,[5] deregulation of state-owned enterprises, trade liberalisation, deregulation of workplaces, abolition of the minimum wage,[6] criticism of socialism,[7] and repeal of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.[8] It also rejects large parts of climate science.[9]
This article is about the Australian free-market think tank. For the Polish think tank, see Institute of Public Affairs, Poland. For the Chilean institute, see Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Chile.Established
1943
FYE June 2023
Income: A$11,600,000
Expenses: A$8,560,000[1]
8,200[1]
The IPA was founded during World War II by businessmen in response to the growing power of the Labor Party and international socialism, and has typically aligned with, and supported, the Liberal Party in politics. It has in the past funded and created advertising campaigns for anti-Labor candidates, and has had an impact on Liberal Party policies,[10][11] according to former prime minister John Howard.[12]
Finances and donors[edit]
The IPA is funded by its membership, which include both private individuals and businesses.
It has been significantly funded by Hancock Prospecting, of which Gina Rinehart is the Executive Chair. Hancock Prospecting paid the IPA $2.3 million in financial year 2016 and $2.2 million in financial year 2017,[38] which represents one-third to a half of the IPA's total revenue in those years.[39] These payments were not disclosed in IPA annual reports,[40] and Rinehart's daughter Bianca Hope Heyward submitted in court that the Hancock Prospecting payments were credited to Rinehart in an individual capacity.[38] Gina Rinehart was made a life member of the IPA in November 2016.[41]
Other businesses who fund or have funded the IPA include ExxonMobil,[42] Telstra, WMC Resources, Philip Morris,[43] Murray Irrigation Limited,[44] Visy,[34] Clough Engineering, Caltex, Shell, Esso[3] and British American Tobacco (BAT).[3]
Funders are able to "earmark" their payments to support the work of particular units within the IPA.[45]
The Institute of Public Affairs has also been funded by Liberal Party associated entity the Cormack Foundation.[46]
In 2003, the Howard Government provided $50,000 to the Institute of Public Affairs to review the accountability of NGOs.[4]