Institute of Public Affairs

[[File:I P A.jpg|thumb|right|165px|IPA logo]]
{{Denialism}}
{{cquote|The IPA is usually described as a "radical libertarian think tank" but it's not libertarian, since its freedoms for the few spell oppression for the many. It's also not-thoughtful and so not-public it's almost clandestine.|||Elizabeth Farrelly, ''The Sydney Morning Herald''<ref name=arms>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/institute-of-public-affairs-the-think-tank-with-arms-everywhere-20160406-gnzlhq.html|title=Institute of Public Affairs: the think tank with arms everywhere|first=Elizabeth|last=Farrelly|date=April 6, 2016|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref>}}

The '''Institute of Public Affairs''' is an [[Australia]]n [[far-right]] [[think tank]] based in Melbourne. It deceptively uses slogans such as "The Voice for Freedom" and "Securing Freedom for the Future",<ref name=home>{{cite web|url=https://ipa.org.au/|title=HOME - IPA - The Voice for Freedom|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> while what it really does is almost the exact opposite. The IPA keeps a low profile, while having a remarkable amount of influence on Australian politics;<ref name=arms/> it has been a leading influence on the policies of the [[Liberal Party of Australia]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-liberal-party-and-the-institute-of-public-affairs-who-is-whose,8837|publisher=Independent Australia|author=Pearls and Irritations|title=The Liberal Party and the Institute of Public Affairs: Who is Whose?|date=August 2, 2016|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> Former Prime Minister [[Tony Abbott]] has, in fact, compared it to [[Jesus]]<ref name=fr>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/free-radicals-20130824-2sik1.html|title=Free Radicals|first1=Royce|last1=Millar|first2=Ben|last2=Schneiders|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=August 25, 2013|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref><ref group=note>Who, it could be argued, was a demonstrably left-wing activist.</ref> and looked to it for many of his policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2013/09/06/institute-of-liberal-party-policy-what-the-ipa-will-get-from-abbott/|first=Andrew|last=Crook|publisher=Crikey|title=Institute of Liberal Party policy? What the IPA will get from Abbott|date=September 6, 2013|accessdate=June 20, 2018}}</ref>

==Agenda==

{{cquote|Other forms of discrimination, such as by skin colour, race, or ethnicity, are rightly abhorred, yet the income tax system openly discriminates against people by income.|||The IPA, mistaking wealthy people for oppressed racial minorities<ref name=tax>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2018/jun/10/theres-a-new-cultural-war-and-its-targeting-progressive-tax-rates|title=There's a new cultural war – and it's targeting progressive tax rates|first=Greg|last=Jericho|date=June 10, 2018|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref>}}

In 2012, the IPA released a document entitled "Be Like Gough: 75 Radical Ideas to Transform Australia".<ref name=blg>{{cite web|url=https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/ipa-review-articles/be-like-gough-75-radical-ideas-to-transform-australia|title=Be Like Gough: 75 Radical Ideas to Transform Australia|first1=John|last1=Roskam|first2=Chris|last2=Berg|first3=James|last3=Paterson|date=August 5, 2012|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> The title refers to Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam who rapidly introduced progressive policies in the 1970s, including [[universal health care]] and free education; the "radical" ideas proposed in the document are oriented in the opposite direction, and were intended as policies for Tony Abbott to bring Australia back to the pre-1970s. 

Many of the policies listed involve the [[privatization]] or abolition of important public services, some of which include: 
* The [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], which the IPA considers to frame Australian political debates "in ways which its disproportionately left-leaning staff favour",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/new-ipa-book-calls-on-government-to-privatise-the-abc-by-giving-it-away-20180525-p4zhjn.html|title=New IPA book calls on government to privatise the ABC by 'giving it away'|first=Michael|last=Koziol|date=May 25, 2018|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> because privatization will ''definitely'' fix any perceived [[liberal bias]] 
* Special Broadcasting Service
* The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's leading scientific research organisation
* Australia Post 
* Medibank, the privatization of which was carried out in 2014 
 
In addition, it advocates introducing fee competition at universities, abolishing compulsory voting, repealing the mining tax, reducing the company tax, and means-testing Medicare and tertiary student loans. 

In 2019, it published an updated, shorter, but very similar list, called "20 Policies to Fix Australia",<ref>{{cite web|title=20 Policies to Fix Australia|url=https://ipa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/IPA-Research-20-Policies-to-Fix-Australia.pdf|date=April 12, 2019|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=April 18, 2019}}</ref> which included such gems as: 
* Hold a Royal Commission into the Bureau of Meteorology’s tampering with temperature and climate data (i.e. accusing the BoM of exaggerating the temperature rise to date) 
* Implement a [[flat tax|flat income tax]] (which it claims will "reduce poverty" and "promote equality", and ''certainly'' not do the opposite) 
* Abolish the Renewable Energy Target and end all subsidies to wind, solar, and hydro-electricity generators (because [[clean coal]] is the way of the future, baby!) 
* Repeal the ''Fair Work Act'' (which it blames for "prevent[ing] employers and employees from reaching mutually beneficial employment agreements" which are apparently reached by stripping workers of most of their workplace rights) 

The IPA also wants to abolish the [[minimum wage]] under the bizarre justification of "dignity of work", with a spokesperson saying "I’m not so concerned about the working poor,<ref group=note>Well, that's very honest!</ref> I’m more concerned about the unemployed poor"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/institute-of-public-affairs-calls-for-the-abolition-of-the-minimum-wage-20140406-366ve.html|title=Institute of Public Affairs calls for the abolition of the minimum wage|last=Schneiders|first=Ben|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=April 7, 2014|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> meaning, of course, that the costs of this fabricated concern should fall to the working poor (and not, you know, the wealthy). The IPA has referred to progressive taxation as [[discrimination]] against the rich, and openly compared it to [[racism]],<ref name=tax/> because apparently wealthy people are an oppressed group. It also opposes legislated employees' rights,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/media-releases/unfair-work-act|title=The Unfair Work Act|first=Gideon|last=Rozner|date=June 26, 2017|accessdate=April 18, 2019}}</ref> except when it comes to the sacking of people who agree with it, such as [[Peter Ridd]], a [[global warming]] denialist professor booted from James Cook University.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peter Ridd Has Defeated The Climate Inquisition Thanks To You|date=April 17, 2019|first=Jennifer|last=Marohasy|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=April 18, 2019}}</ref> Note that Ridd claimed and won compensation for unfair dismissal from the JCU after a crowdfunded trial under the selfsame Fair Work Act that the IPA wants abolished (cue irony and hypocrisy).

In short, the "freedom" the IPA promotes is simply a code-word for widening the gap between the haves and have-nots.

==Global warming==

{{cquote|Of all the serious 
denialists
 sceptics in Australia, we have helped and supported just about all of them in their work one way or another... [[Ian Plimer]] - we launched his book - Bob Carter, [[Jo Nova]], William Kininmonth.|||John Roskam<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/the-benefit-of-the-doubt-20100507-ujof.html|title=The benefit of the doubt|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=May 8, 2010|accessdate=December 31, 2019}}</ref>}}

The IPA is one of Australia's most aggressive promoters of [[global warming denialism]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/nov/08/qa-naomi-klein-criticises-australias-climate-and-asylum-policies|title=Q&A: Naomi Klein criticises Institute of Public Affairs over climate interventions|first=Michael|last=Slezak|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Napier-Raman|first=Kishor|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/01/29/institute-of-public-affairs-climate-change-denialism/?fbclid=IwAR0IIu2056lkJdzLp8S_DFw-5NATIA_f2rS5xGwy-9NdtvemeBJR9XznxGU|title=How one think tank poisoned Australia’s climate debate|publisher=Crikey|date=January 29, 2019|accessdate=December 31, 2019}}</ref> and advocates withdrawing from the [[Kyoto Protocol]], abolishing the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change and repealing the [[renewable energy]] target.<ref name=blg/> It played a part in the repeal of Australia's short-lived [[carbon tax (Australia)|carbon tax]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/03/thinktank-institute-of-public-affairs-up-for-prize-for-role-in-repealing-carbon-tax|title=Thinktank Institute of Public Affairs up for prize for role in repealing carbon tax|author=Associated Australian Press|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|date=September 3, 2015|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref>  

In 2017, two members published a paper in the now-defunct journal ''GeoResJ'' purporting to show that global warming to date is natural;<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214242817300426#!|last1=Abbot|last2=Marohasy|first1=John|first2=Jennifer|title=The application of machine learning for evaluating anthropogenic versus natural climate change|journal=GeoResJ|volume=14|date=December 2017|page=36-46|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> their research involved poor and dishonest methodology, and was deemed "junk science" and "worthless on a number of measures" by genuine climate scientists.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2017/aug/26/institute-of-public-affairs-paper-claim-global-warming-natural-junk-science|title=Why the IPA's claim global warming is natural is 'junk science'|first=Graham|last=Readfearn|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|date=August 26, 2017|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref>

In September of 2019, the IPA proudly announced its 2020 fundraiser touting a list of usual suspects from the climate change denialist brigade, such as the aforementioned Peter Ridd, its own residential denialist Jennifer Marohasy (whose IPA profile name checks [[Bjørn Lomborg]] just for good measure<ref> {{cite web|title=Jennifer Marohasy|url=https://ipa.org.au/author/jennifermarohasy|date=(Undated)|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref>), as well as [[Richard Lindzen]] and {{wpl|Henrik Svensmark}} (basically a Danish Lindzen 2.0).<ref>{{cite web|title=IPA Announces Fundraising Campaign Climate Change: The Facts 2020|url= https://ipa.org.au/ipa-today/ipa-announces-fundraising-campaign-climate-change-the-facts-2020|date=September 13, 2019|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref> Oddly enough, among these fairly prominent and/or in-house sceptics, the IPA also included a certain Geoff Duffy, though he is so off the radar that he doesn’t even have a Wikipedia article. However, he seems to be an emeritus [[engineer]] (cf. the [[Salem hypothesis]]) with a denialist history, including signing one of the [[Heartland Institute]]’s declarations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geoffrey Duffy|url= https://www.desmogblog.com/geoffrey-duffy|date=(Undated)|publisher=DESMOG|accessdate=February 4, 2020}}</ref> If the pattern of a semi-retired former academic turned corporate [[Ultracrepidarianism|ultracrepidarian]] [[shill]] sounds familiar, it’s because it basically describes such prototypical [[Expert for hire|experts for hire]] as [[S. Fred Singer]] and [[Frederick Seitz]].

==Bigotry==
In a further [[Orwellian]] twist on its favourite buzzword, "[[freedom]]", the IPA engages in [[DARVO]] and fear-mongering about the loss of "[[free speech]]" and [[religious freedom]]s as a basis for opposing the right of [[Same-sex marriage|same-sex couples to marry]]<ref>{{cite web|title=With Little Thought To Consequences, Gay Marriage Could Reduce Freedom|url=https://ipa.org.au/ipa-today/little-thought-consequences-gay-marriage-reduce-freedom|first=John|last=Roskam|date=August 18, 2017|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/in-the-news/lack-sex-protection|date=September 2, 2017|first=Morgan|last=Begg|title=Lack Of Same Sex Protection|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> and advocating for the repeal of the 1975 Racial Discrimination Act,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/rights-to-bigotry-and-green-lights-to-hate-24946|title=The Government can revive its 'freedom agenda'|first=Chris|last=Berg|date=January 6, 2015|publisher=ABC|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> because basic human rights and safety for the demographics concerned take second place to the all-important "right to be a bigot".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/opinion/how-george-brandis-racehate-laws-are-good-for-democracy-20140330-zqoja.html|title=How George Brandis' race-hate laws are good for democracy|first=Chris|last=Berg|date=March 30, 2014|publisher=The Age|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> 

It has also opposed the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first peoples of Australia, because according to IPA head John Roskom, the suggestion of a separate Indigenous voice is "just as offensive as to give people a special say due to their religion, or gender or anything else."<ref>{{cite news|title=Liberals won't accept Indigenous recognition model, Institute of Public Affairs warns|first1=Paul|last1=Carp|first2=Katherine|last2=Murphy|date=May 30, 2017|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/30/liberals-wont-accept-indigenous-recognition-model-institute-of-public-affairs-warns|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref>

==Transparency==
The IPA was commissioned in 2003 by the Howard Government to scrutinize the accountability and transparency of non-profit organizations in Australia, and the IPA's advice influenced the government to writing laws stripping many NGOs of their tax-deductible status.<ref name=fr/> 

Its attacks on NGOs for supposedly being unaccountable<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://ipa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/archive/ProtocolWeb.pdf|title=The Protocol: Managing Relations with NGOs|first1=Gary|last1=Johns|first2=John|last2=Roskam|publisher=Institute of Public Affairs|date=April 2004|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> are quite [[ironic]], considering how secretive the IPA is about its own sources of funding,<ref name=shadowy>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-24/hamilton-the-shadowy-world-of-ipa-finances/3849006|first=Clive|last=Hamilton|title=The shadowy world of IPA finances|date=February 24, 2012|publisher=ABC|accessdate=June 19, 2018}}</ref> which leaked documents reveal to consist largely of [[Fossil fuel|oil]], mining, [[tobacco]], forestry etc. industries and industry moguls such as [[Gina Rinehart]] and [[Rupert Murdoch]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/11/1060588322537.html|last= Norington|first=Brad|title=Think tank secrets|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=August 12,2003|accessdate=June 20, 2018}}</ref><ref name=arms/><ref name=shadowy/>

==See also==
*[[Andrew Bolt]]
*[[Gina Rinehart]]
*[[Liberal Party of Australia]]
*[[Tony Abbott]]

==External links==
*[http://ipa.org.au IPA website]
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Public_Affairs IPA] on [[Wikipedia]]
*[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Institute_of_Public_Affairs IPA] on [[SourceWatch]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
{{Template:Down Under}}

[[Category:Australian political movements]]
[[Category:Conservative deceit]]
[[Category:Denialist organizations]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Misnomers]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Think tanks]]

Categories: Australian political movements, Conservative deceit, Denialist organizations, Global warming denialists, Homophobes, Misnomers, Racists, Think tanks