Menzies Research Centre

Australia

The Menzies Research Centre is a think tank dedicated to researching and analyzing public policy issues in Australia. It aims to provide informed insights and contribute to policy development through a depth of knowledge and expertise in various fields.

CCI Score

-8.69

0.01% April 18

Latest Event

Menzies Research Centre Highlights Questionable MRFF Spending

Researchers at the Menzies Research Centre selected two grants from the Medical Research Future Fund as examples of questionable government spending. This research highlights concerns that government efficiency policies may undermine progressive initiatives to improve outcomes for Indigenous communities.

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COLLABORATOR

Menzies Research Centre is currently rated as a Collaborator.

-5 to -9 CCI Score

In this category, companies align with authoritarian practices mainly to avoid trouble or regulatory conflict. Their compliance is driven by self-preservation, resulting in minimal resistance even as they participate in oppressive systems.

Latest Events

APR

16

2025

Menzies Research Centre Highlights Questionable MRFF Spending
70.00

Researchers at the Menzies Research Centre selected two grants from the Medical Research Future Fund as examples of questionable government spending. This research highlights concerns that government efficiency policies may undermine progressive initiatives to improve outcomes for Indigenous communities.
MAR

21

2025

MRC Grant Review Critiques Progressive Grants
-49.61

The Menzies Research Centre released its 'Stop the Bloat' report revealing that over $65 million in federal grants—funded projects including initiatives such as decolonising breastfeeding for Indigenous mothers and developing an anti‐racist dental health system—have been characterized as wasteful expenditure. The review frames these progressive projects as questionable uses of taxpayer money.
-50

Public and Political Behavior

April 16

The report by MRC critiques funding for initiatives that support progressive social justice causes, such as decolonisation and anti-racist health policies, labeling them as wasteful. This framing delegitimizes programs aimed at addressing historical inequities and undermines efforts to support marginalized communities, reflecting a politically conservative stance contrary to anti-fascist and progressive values.

MRC Grant Review: Taxpayer money squandered on questionable grants — Menzies Research Centre
MAR

01

2023

Appointment of David Hughes as Executive Director
-24.23

In March 2023, David Hughes was appointed as executive director of the Menzies Research Centre, a centre‐right think tank aligned with the Australian Liberal Party. This leadership change reinforces the organisation's established political alignment.
-30

Executive Political Engagement

April 16

The appointment of David Hughes as executive director, given the Centre's explicit affiliation with the centre-right Liberal Party and its promotion of conservative policies, underlines the organisation's political engagement. From an anti‐fascist perspective, such politically engaged leadership may further entrench conservative agendas that do not prioritize progressive or anti‐authoritarian values.

Menzies Research Centre - Wikipedia
JUN

11

2019

Shift Away from Research and Partisan Alignment
-22.26

The Menzies Research Centre, officially linked to the Liberal Party, has reportedly ceased publishing research since early 2017. This departure from substantive policy research calls into question its role as an independent think tank and may signal a deeper partisan alignment that undermines efforts to promote unbiased public debate.
-40

Public and Political Behavior

April 16

The think tank’s official affiliation with the Liberal Party, paired with its notable drift away from rigorous research, raises concerns about its commitment to independent policy analysis. This political alignment may contribute to a partisan narrative that supports right-wing ideologies, thereby posing risks aligned with authoritarian and fascist tendencies. From a left-leaning anti-fascist perspective, this undermines the public's ability to access unbiased information and strengthens conservative power structures.

Right's think tanks are running dry - Financial Review
DEC

10

2016

Government Grants Support Politically-Aligned Think Tank
-17.34

The Department of Finance has provided over $1 million in grants since 2012 to the Liberal-aligned Menzies Research Centre, raising concerns about partisan bias in policy research funded by taxpayers.
-40

Political Contributions and Lobbying Efforts

April 16

The grants directed to the Liberal-aligned think tank indicate a close financial tie between the organization and major political parties. This state-mediated funding reinforces partisan narratives and may undermine the integrity and independence of public policy research, contributing to entrenched power structures that can favor authoritarian agendas.

Taxpayers fork out millions to prop up major party think tanks