Some of Australia’s most influential thinktanks refuse to reveal their biggest donors. But should they?

Uniform disclosure rules would ensure a level playing field for thinktanks, Transparency International Australia says. Composite: Getty Images

Australia’s biggest thinktanks are deeply divided on whether disclosing their financial backers is in the public interest, with several raising concerns that efforts to keep them secret may be undermining trust in the sector.

Three influential policy groups that together receive almost $20m in donations a year refuse to reveal their key donors, including those whose commercial interests may overlap with their public advocacy campaigns.