Institute for Private Enterprise (IPE)

Background

The Institute for Private Enterprise (IPE) is a small think tank based in Melbourne, Australia with the aim to “promote the cause of private enterprise and to argue for a reduction in the role of government.”¹

The IPE was founded in 1996 by Des Moore, current IPE Director and past employee of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA). Moore’s primary experience is as economist in a Federal Treasury, and he admits he is a “non-scientist.”²

According to SourceWatch, A major focus of Moore’s work at the IPE has been championing “labour market deregulation.”

Stance on Climate Change

March 28, 2011

The following is an excerpt from a talk Des More gave to the University of Third Age, which he republished at Institute for Private Enterprise.³

“I summarise my assessment as follows. There are fundamental faults in the statistical and scientific analyses used to justify the need for early comprehensive mitigatory action by governments; claims of a consensus on the IPCC science have no credibility and account is not taken of the long history of faulty analyses by scientists; that examination of the temperature and CO2 concentrations data indicate that the green house effect on temperatures to 2100 is likely to be much less than the IPCC (and other believers) predict; that there is no substantive evidence of threats from rising sea levels or meltings of sea ice in the Arctic or Antarctic; that there is no evidence of any significant change in average rainfall or that droughts and other severe weather events are likely to occur more frequently. In conclusion, my submission is that the best policy is to adapt to changes in climate and to leave that mainly to the private sector.” ⁴

Funding

A search of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) does not return any results for the Institute for Private Enterpise. The IPE does not appear to publicly list its funding.⁵

According to documents at the Australian Electoral Commission, the Liberal Party’s Cormack Foundation gave $15,000 to the Institute for PRivate Enterprise in April, 2001. The form also lists an additional $19,800 to Moore’s former employer, Institute of Public Affairs that year.⁶

Key People

Des Moore — Director and sole employee.

Actions

January 2018

Writing at IPA, Des Moore described his “battle to persuade The Australian to publish a letter critical of analysis on climate policy by Energy Minister Frydenberg and to my success in eventually having a shortened version published.”⁷

The letter was included with another that praised of “climate expert Bjorn Lomborg” whose educational background is in political science, not climate change. Moore wrote Lomborg’s article argued “that, even if fully implemented, the Paris climate agreement would have a much smaller effect in preventing temperature increases than predicted but would be incredibly expensive and could very well exacerbate hunger.”⁸

May 21 –23, 2012

IPE is listed as a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7).⁹

October 2, 2009

Des Moore was par tof a “two-sided presentation” titled “Global Warming and Uncertainty – What is the appropriate response?”

According to Moore, “the large uncertainties about the timing and extent of the alleged mitigating action said to be needed suggests that no case exists for governments to start a comprehensive program now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”¹⁰

Quadrant Magazine — Publishes many of Moore’s articles.
Institute of Public Affairs — One of Moore’s previous employers.

Contact & Address

The IPE does not list its address at its website. The following is according to 2001 documents at the Australian Electoral Commission:¹¹

6/112 Millswyn St South Yarra 3141

This appears to be the home address for Des Moore, as it matches a letter to the editor he sent to The Australian.¹²

IPE does not appear to be active on social media.

Other Resources

“Institute for Private Enterprise,” SourceWatch.

Resources

1
“Institute Objectives,” Institute for Private Enterprise. Archived June 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/8ng2s
2
Des Moore. “Scare or science?”, Quadrant Magazine, May 31, 2011. Retrieved from IPE.net.au. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/hhyHU
3
“Why No Dangerous Rise in Temperatures Threatens” (PDF), Institute for Private Enterprise, March 28, 2011.
4
“Why No Dangerous Rise in Temperatures Threatens” (PDF), Institute for Private Enterprise, March 28, 2011.
5
“Find a charity on the ACNC Register,” Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Search performed July 6, 2016.
6
2000/2001 Donor to Political Parties Annual Return for Cormack Foundatoin Pty LTD. Retrieved from Australian Electoral Commission.
7
“Battles on Climate Policy,” Institute for Private Enterprise, January 22, 2018. Archived June 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/loFOu
8
“Battles on Climate Policy,” Institute for Private Enterprise, January 22, 2018. Archived June 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/loFOu
9
“Cosponsors,” 7th International Conference on Climate Change. Archived June 14, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/lRyoG
10
Tom Quirk. “Debating global warming,” Quadrant Online, October 5, 2009. Retrieved from ipe.net.au. Archived April 8, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/OOYkP
11
2000/2001 Donor to Political Parties Annual Return for Cormack Foundatoin Pty LTD. Retrieved from Australian Electoral Commission.
12
Des Moore. “Dear Sir” (PDF), March 29, 2018. Retrieved from IPE.net.au.

DeSmog

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