Centre for Independent Studies

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Centre for Independent Studies
Centre for Independent Studies logo 2015.svg
Other nameCIS
Founder Greg Lindsay [1]
Established1976;49 years ago (1976) [1]
Executive Director Tom Switzer [2] [3]
Address 131 Macquarie Street, Sydney City
Location
Sydney
,
New South Wales
,
Australia
Website www.cis.org.au

The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian think tank founded in 1976 by Greg Lindsay. [4] [5] The CIS specialises in public policy research and publishes material in areas such as economics, education, culture and foreign policy. Although there are no explicit ties between the CIS and the centre-right Liberal Party, the CIS is politically aligned with the Liberal Party, praising Liberal Party founder Robert Menzies, [6] hosting various Liberal Party politicians and holding very critical views of the Labor Party. [7] [8] However, it has also hosted Labor prime ministers and politicians, [9] and often also criticises the Liberal Party's policies. [10] [11] [12]

Contents

Philosophy

The CIS describes itself as a "classical liberal think tank". [13]

CIS is affiliated with the United States–based Atlas Network, which advocates free market economic policies across the world. [14] [15] [16]

Activities

In 2023, the CIS partnered with other think tanks including the Institute of Public Affairs and LibertyWorks, conservative lobby group Advance and fossil fuel companies to coordinate the No campaign during the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum. [16] [17]

Sexual harassment controversy

In August 2025, the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that former Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) marketing and research analyst Emilie Dye had filed a complaint with the Fair Work Commission alleging that former executive director Tom Switzer had "rubbed her leg," told her she had a "great arse," described himself as "a very sexual guy" during a night out in March 2025, and proposed a threesome with another young female colleague. [18]

Dye also alleged that CIS engaged in retaliatory conduct after she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement, including launching an internal investigation into her own workplace behaviour. [19] Switzer denied all allegations, claiming CCTV footage from the venue would clear him. However, a subsequent report revealed that Dye was never informed of the footage's existence, despite CIS staff and Switzer viewing it shortly after the incident. [20]

Newly appointed executive director Michael Stutchbury initially resisted calls to dismiss Switzer, stating that CIS would await the outcome of the Fair Work Commission mediation process. Following mounting media scrutiny, criticism of CIS's handling of the complaint, and the withdrawal of the housing advocacy group Sydney YIMBY from a planned CIS event with NSW Premier Chris Minns, Stutchbury and the CIS board accepted Switzer's resignation on 2 September 2025. [18] [19]

As of September 2025, the Fair Work Commission case remains unresolved. [19]

Funding

The CIS does not publish its funding.

The CIS is funded by donations, membership subscriptions, and book and event sales from individuals, companies and charitable trusts. It does not accept government funding. [21]

Staff

Tom Switzer was executive director of CIS from 2018 to 2025, succeeding founder Greg Lindsay who had held the position for forty-two years. On September 1 2025 Switzer stepped down as a senior fellow after he was accused of sexually harassing a staff member. [22] In 2019, Nicholas Moore was appointed chairman of the CIS board, succeeding Peter Mason. [23]

Notable individuals in the research staff include Gary Banks, [24] Salvatore Babones, [25] Nyunggai Warren Mundine and Steven Schwartz. [26]

References

  1. 1 2 "History – The Centre for Independent Studies". cis.org.au. Founded in 1976 by Greg Lindsay, a young schoolteacher with an interest in classical liberal ideas, CIS was established in a period marked by much social and political discontent. The turmoil and controversy of the Whitlam years had given way to disappointment and stagnation under the Fraser government, yet the notion that governments were the solution to any problem prevailed, particularly in the media.
  2. ↑ "PréCIS – Annual Review" (PDF). cis.org.au. 2022.
  3. ↑ "Tom Switzer – The Centre for Independent Studies". cis.org.au. 8 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Think tank secrets". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 12 August 2003. Retrieved 30 June 2023. Greg Lindsay, from the leading right-wing Centre for Independent Studies
  5. ↑ Heath, Ryan (1 June 2020). "Alarm mixed with glee as world is glued to US protest coverage". Politico. Axel Springer SE. Retrieved 30 June 2023. Australian right-wing think tank the Center for Independent Studies
  6. ↑ Prasser, Scott (28 May 2021). "What would Menzies think of today's Liberal Party?". The Canberra Times .
  7. ↑ Cowan, Simon (2 July 2022). "Can Labor and Anthony Albanese move past the blame game and govern Australia?". The Canberra Times.
  8. ↑ Switzer, Tom (11 April 2023). "Australia's Labor Dark Ages will end in a Liberal victory". The Spectator Australia. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "Kevin Rudd: The Avoidable War". The Centre for Independent Studies. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "The one night stand federal budget". The Centre for Independent Studies. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "Someone has to pay for Australia's financial largesse". The Centre for Independent Studies. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "Beware governments bearing projections". The Centre for Independent Studies. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Why I work for a classical liberal think tank". The Centre for Independent Studies. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Westervelt, Amy; Dembicki, Geoff (12 September 2023). "Meet the Shadowy Global Network Vilifying Climate Protesters". The New Republic. ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Atlas Network, 12 June 2017, Greg Lindsay of Australia's The Center for Independent Studies Passing the Torch
  16. 1 2 Walker, Jeremy (30 September 2023). "Silencing the Voice: the Fossil-fuelled Atlas Network's Campaign against Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australia". Cosmopolitan Civil Societies. 15 (2): 105-125. doi: 10.5130/ccs.v15.i2.8813 . Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  17. ↑ Williams, David (2 November 2023). "Chiding in plain sight, Part II". Newsroom . Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  18. 1 2 McGowan, Michael (2 September 2025). "Tom Switzer quits CIS after sexual harassment claim". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 Karp, Paul (2 September 2025). "Switzer resigns from CIS after harassment complaint". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  20. ↑ McGowan, Michael (25 August 2025). "'Card up my sleeve': Think tank withheld CCTV from alleged sexual harassment victim". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "Support CIS". Archived from the original on 16 September 2010.
  22. ↑ McGowan, Michael (2 September 2025). "Tom Switzer quits CIS after sexual harassment claim". The Age.
  23. ↑ "Board of Directors". The Centre for Independent Studies. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  24. ↑ "Gary Banks". The Centre for Independent Studies. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Salvatore Babones". The Centre for Independent Studies. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  26. ↑ "Research Scholars". The Centre for Independent Studies. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
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