It’s been about a decade since anyone admitted it but someone has finally gone on the record to make the connection between right-wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs and Big Tobacco.
Today’s Sydney Morning Herald (not online) has reported that cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco is funding the IPA. The membership was revealed by BAT spokesman Scott McIntyre.
British American Tobacco is part of an industry campaign to stop the federal government’s plain packaging cigarette legislation, which is set to come into effect at the end of this year.
The IPA, also an opponent of plain packaging, has long refused to reveal who contributes to its research war chest. Neither the IPA or BAT replied to requests for clarification this morning.
Big Tobacco has initiated legal proceedings against the government to protect their brands, which they say are worth billions. Corporate and individual members contribute most of the IPA’s $2.5 million annual budget, which is then funnelled into research.
In 2010, ABC TV’s Media Watch questioned IPA plain packaging spokesperson Tim Wilson’s links to the tobacco industry, highlighting the think tank’s historical ties to cigarette companies. At the time no tobacco company would reveal if it was funding the IPA.
In an opinion piece published by The Australian in 2002 the IPA admitted it received support from tobacco companies. In another piece in 2000, former senior fellow Gary Johns said a member of the IPA board worked for Phillip Morris.
Critics such as The Greens have long accused the IPA of being a “pressure group for hire”. Most of the IPA’s research is focused on pro-business issues and anti-government intervention, with many of their researchers also providing comment and op-ed for the media.
In an interview with The Power Index recently, IPA boss John Roskam said supporters had been intimidated for their membership and that was a reason for keeping their identities secret.
“Anyone who gives us money can say they give us money, but the reason we don’t reveal who our donors are is because they have been intimidated,” said Roskam. “There is nothing that we have ever done that we have done because someone has paid us to change our opinion.”
The IPA research? Research what? As an Insitute they have less credibility than the Ponds Institute. They have a existing position on issues based on ideology and are given free reign to fill opinion content of Fairfax media and The Drum (ABC). The Fairfax press used to full of high quality, insightful and well researched
opinion pieces from the likes of Pamela Bone and Kenneth Davidson.
Now we have opinion pages full of propaganda from assorted IPA stooges and former Liberal politicians.
I shudder to think what would result if Gina gets a board seat.
It would be nice if the IPA admitted their lobbying of the public
was based on “sponsorship deals and in which commodities”?
I am sick and tired of seeing the IPA getting air time on the ABC often alongside other right wing twits, just to balance things out I suppose.I think it is becoming widely known that the ABC is no longer the respected, unbiased broker it once was.
Thanks Johnny Howard for stacking the board.
I think we can make an educated guess about IPA’s funding sources.
Interesting comment about intimidation.
Perhaps the ABC is intimidated otherwise why would it give so much airtime to the IPA
If think tanks want their opinions to be published they should be prepared to reveal their funding sources.
Not doing so is just plain dishonest and the media shouldn’t be a party to it.