Australian Taxpayers' Alliance

Founded in 2012,{{cite news | url=http://www.vexnews.com/2012/05/the-next-battle-what-kind-of-government-will-tony-abbott-lead/ | work=VEXNEWS | title=The Next Battle: What kind of government will Tony Abbott lead? | date=May 7, 2012 | access-date=July 19, 2019 | archive-date=May 11, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511060242/http://www.vexnews.com/2012/05/the-next-battle-what-kind-of-government-will-tony-abbott-lead/ | url-status=dead }} the ATA partners with a variety of organizations to advance its goals.{{cite book | last=Chen | first=Peter John | date=2013 | title=Australian Politics in a Digital Age | publisher=Australian National University Press | page=144 | isbn=9781922144409| jstor=j.ctt2jbkkn }} As of 2019, it counts 75,000 members.{{cite news| url=https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/c2018-t306182-australian-taxpayers-alliance_0.pdf | work=Australian Government The Treasury | title=The digital economy and Australia's corporate tax system}}

In 2017, ATA coordinated an international coalition to abolish a goods and service tax levied on online purchases.{{cite news| url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/amazon-in-australia-warning-over-online-shopping-tax-hike/news-story/1108a36b3933cd23be7967dacd4a9885 | work=Herald Sun | title=Amazon in Australia: Warning Over Online Shopping Tax Hide | date=April 11, 2017}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/antitax-crusaders-fight-lowvalue-gst/news-story/dd1fac4ff5b8affc545ebd05d6c3ec46 | work=The Australian| title=Anti-tax crusaders fight low-value GST | date=June 15, 2017}} Members of the coalition included Americans for Tax Reform (the U.S.), the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (Canada), and the Freedom Association (the U.K.), among other groups.{{cite news| url=https://www.alecaction.org/update/open-letter-to-the-australia-government-on-behalf-of-taxpayers/ | work=ALEC Action | title=An Open Letter to the Australia Government on Behalf of Taxpayers | date=April 13, 2017}} Australia’s Department of the Treasury and the Productivity Commission{{cite news| url=https://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/221430/sub033-collection-models.pdf | work=Australian Government Productivity Commission | title=Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Collection Models for GST on Low Value Imported Goods}} invited ATA to submit a report on this issue.

Also in 2017, ATA co-founded Legalise Vaping Australia (LVA), an advocacy group to reform laws about vaping and e-cigarettes across Australia.{{cite news| url=https://www.legalisevaping.com.au/about_us | work=Legalise Vaping Australia | title=About Us}} LVA’s efforts have been profiled in media such as BuzzFeed,{{cite news| url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/aliceworkman/vape-force-one | work=BuzzFeed | title=An Australian Politician Is Spending Valentine's Day Driving Around In A Pro-Vaping Van | date=February 13, 2018}} ABC,{{cite news| url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-02/vaping-advocates-argue-health-is-at-centre-of-campaign/10179224 | work=ABC News | title=Fired-up vaping advocates argue health is at centre of legalisation campaign in Canberra | date=September 1, 2018}} and the Daily Telegraph.

ATA has also taken an active role in the carbon tax debate.{{cite news| url=https://www.2gb.com/turnbulls-carbon-tax-could-hike-prices-of-popular-car-models/ | work=2GB | title=Turnbull's carbon tax could hike prices of popular car models | date=June 14, 2018}} This campaign arose from Stop Gillard’s Carbon Tax, a project of Tim Andrews, ATA’s founder. The Spectator called Andrews “one of the masterminds behind the anti-carbon-tax protests that have Labor’s hold on government on tenterhooks.”{{cite news| url=https://www.2gb.com/turnbulls-carbon-tax-could- | work=The Spectator| title=Meet the man behind the anti-carbon tax lobby | date=September 17, 2011}}

Some media attention has focused on potential ties to the American billionaire Koch Brothers, due to the past affiliations of board members of the ATA, as well as claims the ATA is part of a “network of organisations that has close links to foreign backed political lobby groups”.{{Cite news|title=Australian Taxpayers Alliance under scrutiny over election role|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australian-taxpayers-alliance-under-scrutiny-over-election-role-20191025-p534b1.html}}

Since 2012, together with the Australian Libertarian Society, ATA has organized the annual Friedman Conference.{{cite news| url=https://theconversation.com/are-australians-ready-to-embrace-libertarianism-93576 | work=The Conversation| title=Are Australians ready to embrace libertarianism? | date=April 11, 2018}} Described by David Leyonhjelm, a leader of the Liberal Democratic Party in the Senate, as the biggest libertarian-oriented event in the Asia Pacific region,{{cite news| url=https://medium.com/leyonhjelm/why-im-so-optimistic-about-being-a-libertarian-3a8269fb1b14 | work=Medium | title=Why I'm so optimistic about being a libertarian | date=May 14, 2018}} the conference convenes groups such as the Atlas Network, the Cato Institute, and the Institute of Public Affairs, along with speakers such as Grover Norquist, John Fund, and Mark Latham.{{cite news| url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cory-bernardi-warns-against-power-of-government-at-friedman-liberty-conference-20170429-gvvf6z.html | work=The Sunday Morning Herald | title=Cory Bernardi warns against power of government at Friedman Liberty Conference | date=April 29, 2017}}{{cite news| url=https://www.atlasnetwork.org/news/article/worldwide-liberty-movement-unites-in-sydney-australia | work=Atlas Network | title=Worldwide Liberty Movement Unites in Sydney, Australia | date=June 13, 2019}}{{cite news| url=https://www.atlasnetwork.org/news/article/record-breaking-crowds-attend-the-6th-australian-libertarian-society-friedm | work=Atlas Network | title=Record-Breaking Crowds Attend The 6th Australian Libertarian Society Friedman Conference | date=June 15, 2018}}

In 2019, ATA organized the World Taxpayer Conference. The conference’s board of directors includes representatives from groups such as the National Taxpayers Union, the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance,{{cite news| url=http://worldtaxpayers.org/about-us/board-of-directors/ | work=World Taxpayers Association | title=Board of Directors}} several of which receive funding from the Koch family. On this basis, the Australian Financial Review called the ATA the “Koch brothers’ new Australian friends.”{{cite news| url=https://www.afr.com/rear-window/koch-brothers-new-australian-friends-20190528-p51rx3 | work=Financial Review | title=Koch brothers' new Australian friends | date=May 28, 2019}}

ATA is best known for its involvement in the campaign to repeal Australia’s carbon tax.{{cite news| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickgleason/2018/07/25/carbon-tax-pushers-tariff-advocates-share-much-in-common#4919637863a6 | work=Forbes | title=Carbon Tax Pushers & Tariff Advocates Share Much In Common | date=July 25, 2018}}

ATA also lobbies for open government. In 2019, it pressured the Commonwealth to launch a transparency website,{{cite news| url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansards/a3a8dfe1-27c9-4c71-a8ec-1fe1cc2461a0/0342/hansard_frag.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf | work=Parliament of Australia | title=Speech | date=June 23, 2015}}{{cite news| url=https://www.ntnews.com.au/business/territory-treasurer-nicole-manison-denies-budget-crisis-despite-grim-deficit-figures/news-story/ef7566869509d04790b1383fb8a0e58d | work=NT News | title=Territory Treasurer Nicole Manison denies budget crisis despite grim deficit figures| date=December 18, 2018}} where all federal bodies must publish their annual reports.{{cite news| url=https://www.financeminister.gov.au/media-release/2019/03/13/launch-government-transparency-website | work=Senator the Honorable Mathias Cormann | title=Launch of Government transparency website| date=March 13, 2019}}

ATA also supports the legalization of electronic cigarettes.{{cite news| url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-02/vaping-advocates-argue-health-is-at-centre-of-campaign/10179224 | work=ABC| title=Fired-up vaping advocates argue health is at centre of legalisation campaign in Canberra| date=September 1, 2018}}

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Category:Taxpayer groups

Category:Political advocacy groups in Australia

Category:Libertarianism in Australia