[citation needed] The Australian Industries Protection League (AIPL) was established in Melbourne in January 1919 as a successor to the Protectionist Association of Victoria.
[2] James Hume Cook, a former federal MP and ally of Nationalist leader Billy Hughes, was appointed secretary of the organisation in 1922 and held the position until his death in 1942.
[3] According to Peter Cochrane, its members were "first and foremost, advocates of high, even prohibitive, protection; they possessed a profound belief in the virtuosity of the small business enterprise and the necessity to furnish it with a financial and political superstructure".
Board members, as of November 2024, were:[9] Former presidents include Tim Reed, Catherine Livingstone, Tony Shepherd, Michael Chaney, Hugh Morgan, Roderick Carnegie and Arvi Parbo.
[13] The council's policy agenda has included plans to reform post-secondary education,[14] cut rates of personal and company tax,[15] and strengthen enterprise bargaining.