Tom Switzer (/ˈswɪtsər/; born 1971) is an Australian political writer who is the executive director of the Centre for Independent Studies,[1] a Sydney-based libertarian public-policy research think tank that focuses on classical liberal issues.
[6] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History (First Class Honours) in 1993; and a Masters in International Relations in 1994; both from the University of Sydney.
In 2009, after Nelson resigned from Parliament, Switzer was a candidate to replace him in the by-election and received endorsements from John Howard, Tony Abbott and Peter Costello.
Switzer was defeated in the fifth round, with Paul Fletcher selected as eventual candidate.
[7] Switzer's analysis of Australian politics has been published in international media, including The Wall Street Journal in opinion articles such as "Howard's End",[8] "Defenestration Down Under",[9] "The Triumph of Tony Abbott",[10] "Australians Turn Away From Malcolm Turnbull",[11] and "Australia’s Left Loses An Election It Was Sure To Win".