Australian Taxpayers' Alliance (ATPA)

Background

The Australian Taxpayers Alliance describes itself as a grassroots activist body "dedicated to fighting Australia's crippling levels of taxation, over-regulation, and government waste." [1]

It was launched on May 1, 2012 by Menzies House, a website catering to "conservative, centre-right and libertarian thinkers and activists." [2], [3]

ATPA describes itself as a "decentralised network designed to empower individuals to take action in their own communities, and create their own 'franchises' within an appropriate framework." [4]

Stance on Climate Change

The ATPA describes the Heartland Institute's 7th International Conference on Climate Change, an event featuring only speakers who are skeptical of man's influence on climate, as "the place to get the FACTS on climate change – and not the alarmist spin you read in the media." [5]

One of ATPA's first campaigns is to stop a carbon tax proposed in Australia.

Funding

[Pending further investigation.]

Key People

According to ATPA's website, as of May, 2012: [6]

• Timothy Andrews — Executive Director.

Board of Advisors

• Alex Robson
• Grace Collier — Founder of Industrial Relations Consulting Pty Ltd.
• Tom Switzer — Editor of the Spectator Australia.
• Julian Leeser — Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre.
• Ron Manners — Founder/Executive Director, Mannkal Economic Education Foundation, Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and member of the board of overseers for the Atlas Economic Research Foundation.
• Ken Phillips — Former director, work reform unit of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA).
• Michael Keane
• John Humphreys — Research Fellow, the Centre for Independent Studies. Founder and President of the Human Capital Project, and Director of the Australian Libertarian Society.
• Patrick Michaels — Senior Environmental Fellow at the Cato Institute.

Actions

May 21 - 23, 2012

The ATPA is an official co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute's 7th International Conference on Climate Change.

Patrick Michaels, a member of ATPA's board of Advisers and "Chief Scientific Adviser" to the affiliated website www.StopGillard'sCarbonTax.Com is a speaker at the event. [5]

February, 2011

Registered the web domain "stopgillardscarbontax.com," a website opposed to Julia Gillard's carbon tax on Australia. The website describes itself as "the central portal and information resource for Australians opposing Julia Gillard's destructive Carbon Tax."

The website includes a petition that urges elected representatives to vote against the propsal. [7]

Notable "Partners" of the website include: [8]

• Menzies House
• CANdo
• The Mankaal Economic Research Foundation
• The Liberal Democratic Party
• The Consumers and Taxpayers Association
• The Carbon Sense Coalition
• The Institute for Private Enterprise
• The Australian Liberal Students' Federation
• The Federal Young Liberal Movement
• The Democratic Labor Party
• The Australian Libertarian Society
• The Christian Democratic Party
• The Australia Tea Party

Related Organizations

• Menzies House
• Reclaimaustralia.com.au
• Stop Gillards Carbon Tax.com
• Support Bolt.com
• Closethetentembassy.com
• Australian Libertarian Society (ALS) — ALS treasurer Tim Andrews is Executive Director of ATPA. 

Resources

1. Homepage, Australian Taxpayers Alliance. Accessed May 19, 2012.

2. "Announcing The Australian Taxpayers' Alliance!", Menzies House, April 11, 2012.

3. "Support us," MenziesHouse. Accessed May, 2012.

4. "FAQ," Australian Taxpayers' Alliance, April 30, 2012.

5. "7th International Conference on Climate Change," Australian Taxpayers' Alliance, May 12, 2012.

6. "Who We Are," Australian Taxpayers' Alliance, April 30, 2012.

7. "About Us," Repeal Gillard's Carbon Tax. Accessed May, 2012.

8. "Partners," Repeal Gillard's Carbon Tax. Accessed May, 2012.

9. "Australian Taxpayers Alliance," SourceWatch.