Pro-Liberal think tank another victim of the climate wars – The Australian Financial Review

Professor Holden and Dr Hamilton, Blueprints chief economist, and others decided to leave after being presented with plans to poll Coalition-held electorates to test attitudes towards climate change, according to two sources familiar with events inside the organisation.

The research team and advisers were unhappy with the design of the project, the sources said, which was the culmination of differences over a question that faces many think tanks: should they concentrate on policy or politics?

The research department wanted to concentrate on in-depth policy. Professor Holden, who was a Blueprint adviser, is close to Warwick McKibbin, an Australian National University economist and one of the countrys intellectual leaders on climate policy.

Three former Liberal ministerial advisers, Harry Guinness, Lachlan Crombie and Ian Hancock, designed Blueprint as the only right-wing think tank in Australia to advocate for a more interventionist climate policy. Blueprint became a registered charity, which meant donations to it are tax deductable.

Even the left-wing Australia Institute offered to collaborate. Helping get research and evidence into policy-making and politics is key and Blueprint plays a role, executive director Ben Oquist said on Tuesday.

Mr Crombie and Mr Hancock both work at Sydney lobbying firm PremierState, which represents renewable energy companies and lobby groups, including the Australian Solar Energy Society, the Climate Council of Australia, Genex Power and the Smart Energy Council.

The connection has led to allegations in the NSW Parliament of conflicts of interest. One Nation MP Mark Latham asserted in February that Blueprint was hired by the state government to provide energy production forecasts as a political favour to the Liberal Partys left faction.

Mr Hancock, who is PremierStates managing director and Blueprints chairman, has emphatically denied any connection between the think tanks advocacy and his lobbying.

A source close to the organisation said Professor Holden and Mr Hamiltons departures were more related to personality differences than disagreements over strategy.

The resignations happened a month ago, but became public on Monday when Dr Hamilton referred to them on social media.

These resignations followed several weeks of dissatisfaction with a Blueprint research proposal, to which I along with the Director of Research and Operations had objected internally, he said in a tweet.

After sending his tweet, Dr Hamilton received a legal threat from a lawyer hired by Blueprint, Rebekah Giles (who represented Industry Minister Christian Porter when he sued the ABC for defamation).

Mr Hamilton, who has deleted the tweet, said he was unable to comment when contacted on Tuesday.

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Pro-Liberal think tank another victim of the climate wars - The Australian Financial Review