One of the most influential economic policy and journalism voices in Australia has become Adam Creighton. His career path, as both Washington correspondent and now Chief Economist in the Institute of Public Affairs gives us some insight on the current thinking and commentary in the field of Australian economics and media.
Adam Creighton’s Background and Education
Adam Creighton comes with brilliant academic qualifications for a journalism career. He has a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Philosophy in Economics from Balliol College, Oxford, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar. This good educational background has provided him with the tools of analysis in order to break down complicated economic matters to the Australian audience.
Prior to joining journalism, Creighton had served at some of the most prestigious financial institutions in Australia, such as the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. This fieldwork in economic policy-making has informed his journalistic view in his professional life.
Career at The Australian and Beyond
Creighton was hired by The Australian in 2012 in the role of economics correspondent and worked up the hierarchy to get the position of economics editor in 2018. He has travelled the world in his reporting, with his most memorable stints in writing for The Wall Street Journal and The Economist. He was also a Journalist in Residence at one of the most esteemed universities, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, in 2019, which also solidified his economic journalism credentials.
His tenure as the Washington correspondent to The Australian came in especially handy, offering readers in Australia court-first-hand commentary on American politics and economics in the highly unstable periods of the Biden administration and the political resurrection of Trump. In 2025, Creighton went back to Australia with an abundance of knowledge gained in America.
Adam Creighton’s Age and Personal Life
Although Creighton has a relatively private personal life, according to public records, he is in his late 40s / early 50s, although the date of his birth is not disclosed to the public. Details about his marital state and the presence or absence of children are not high-profile on his professional websites because Adam Creighton regards his personal life as a very distinct aspect of his professional life as a journalist and an economist.
Appointment as IPA Chief Economist
In early 2025, Creighton decided to make a major career change and joined the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), where he became Chief Economist and Senior Fellow. This position is an attempt at replacing more traditional journalism with a more obviously advocacy-focused position in the major free-market think tank in Australia. The IPA identifies itself as championing economic and political liberty, and the move by Creighton to its leadership position indicates that the body would devote itself to high-profile economic commentary.
Still writing a weekly column in The Australian, Creighton now uses it to “contextualise and publicise the research conducted by the IPA” on such issues as net zero emissions to immigration policy and government spending.
Adam Creighton’s Views and Controversies
Creighton is said to have had conservative economic views, but he also disputes easy classifications. He describes his political philosophy as the “old DLP Labour sprinkled with a small amount of libertarianism”, and cites his views in favour of land and inheritance taxes, higher top marginal tax rates on very high incomes, and against negative gearing and privatisation of the energy market.
COVID-19 Lockdown Criticism
Creighton was made one of the most vocal critics of the lockdowns on COVID-19 in Australia by the government. As the pandemic progressed, he put into doubt the effectiveness of lockdowns and stated that they produced greater harm than prevention. His provocative position not only won over the supporters of the lockdown but also attracted the sharp criticism of the proponents of public health, who claimed that the steps were justified and efficient.
His recent report on the confession of former Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton’s admission that numerous COVID-related measures were most likely “unnecessary” has justified his previous critiques of Creighton and renewed the demand for a royal commission into Australia’s pandemic response.
Trump and American Politics
The way that Creighton has reported on Donald Trump and American politics has been quite amenable to conservative views. In his coverage, he focused on the political resurgence of Trump, the economic and social motivations of the MAGA movement, and complained about mainstream media bias. He has termed the 2024 Trump victory as extraordinary and has contended that the second term of the president will be the Trump we actually have, with no future electoral pressure.
Contact Information for Adam Creighton
To journalists, researchers, or any member of the populace who wants to reach Adam Creighton, he can be approached using several options:
- Email: creightona@theaustralian.com.au (The Australian) or through the Institute of Public Affairs.
- Twitter/X: @Adam_Creighton (has more than 210 monthly search volumes about his Twitter account, which means high social media usage)
- LinkedIn: Work profile that can be used to network and also make professional requests.
His articles are frequently featured in The Australian newspaper, where he has a weekly column that deals with economic, policy and political commentary.
Adam Creighton’s Media Appearances
Creighton is also a commentator on Australian television and radio in addition to his written work. He is a co-host along with Ticky Fullerton on Sky News Australia in Business Weekend and regularly appears on shows such as:
- The different political and business programs of Sky News Australia.
- ABC’s Q&A panel show
- 2SM Mornings with Chris Smith
- Other media interactions of IPA.
These outings have served to make him an identifiable face in the Australian economic and political commentary, but his conservative views frequently cause a ruckus with the progressive community.
Awards and Recognition
The journalism of Creighton has received various awards:
- EJ Craigie Award (2017)
- Westpac Financial Journalism Awards Global and Economic Reporting (2016)
- Citi Journalism Award of Excellence (2015, 2013)
- Bastiat Prize for Journalism finalist (2014).
These awards are indications of his ability to simplify even complicated ideas in economics to general consumers without losing their critical aspect.
Published Works and Contributions
Although Creighton has not written individual books, he has written book chapters on superannuation for Oxford University Press. His columns in The Australian and reviews in global journals such as The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The Spectator have made him a very prolific economic policy commentator.
His publications are regular articles that often cover such issues as:
- Financial policy reform Tax reform.
- Financial responsibility and government expenditure.
- Citizenship policy/immigration policy.
- The net zero and climate change targets.
- Academic freedom and free speech.
Is Adam Creighton Back in Australia?
Adam Creighton, the Washington correspondent of The Australian, was back in Australia in early 2025. His comeback was also when he was appointed to the IPA, and started a new phase in his career of Australian economic policy and political commentary, but as an insider in one of the most powerful conservative think tanks of the country.
Since returning, he has been actively involved in the Australian policy debate, appearing regularly on radio and television as well as continuing with the column in The Australian. His most recent works have been dedicated to the critique of the economic management of the government, the promotion of energy policy reform, and the discussion of the implications of international events on Australia.
The Influence of Adam Creighton
Adam Creighton is either an ideological contrarian or a provocative truth-teller, but he is nonetheless a significant figure in the discourse of the Australian economy. His academic qualifications, coupled with international experience and his media street smarts, have made him a major player in the discussion of the economic future of Australia. His switch to the IPA is an indication that he will remain devoted to his ideas of promoting the principles of free-market and remain a critic of progressive economic policies. To Australians interested in the debates of economic policy, the work of Creighton is always a conservative view based on the formal economic training and experience in the practice of policy. His impact on the nation goes beyond what he writes to include more comprehensive debates on the future of the Australian economy, governmental responsibility and individualism.
