Australia Needs Stronger Whistleblower Protections

by Bill Browne

The prosecution of Richard Boyle demonstrates Australia’s whistleblowing laws are too weak, and governments are too secretive, according to the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program. Richard Boyle, a former Australian Taxation Office worker, became a whistleblower after contacting the ABC with his concerns about unethical workplace practices within the ATO. Boyle had initially reported

Safeguard Deal Caps & Cuts Pollution Despite No Ban: Hard Choices for Govt. on Gas & Coal

The Safeguard Mechanism deal between Labor and the Greens is an improvement on the original legislation but still falls short of what the world’s climate scientists, the United Nations and the International Energy Agency say is required. The package will allow new fossil fuel projects to commence. Importantly, however, it places a cap on emissions

State of Environment Report Needs $1.5m for Government to Fulfil Legal Obligations: Lawyers

Today the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) and the Australia Institute Tasmania have written to Tasmanian Treasurer Michael Ferguson requesting the release of at least $1.5 million to enable the Government to fulfil its legal obligation to produce a State of the Environment Report in the 2023-24 Tasmanian Budget. The last SoE Report was released in

Australians Still Being Gaslit Over Gas Supply Issues

The importance of gas in Australia’s energy market continues to be overinflated in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s annual Gas Statement of Opportunities. The report, which is based on information from gas industry participants, repeats the pattern of previous years by warning of supply uncertainty and claiming ongoing investment in gas infrastructure is required to meet demand. It

Women Earn $1m less than men & $136,000 Less in Super over Working Life

New research released on International Women’s Day reveals Australian women earn $1.01m less over their working lives than men, based on median income data. Women earn $136,000 less in superannuation over their working lives than men, based on median income data. Women earning the median wage will accumulate approximately $393,676 in super, $151,000 below what

Polling Research: Support for Independent Government Appointments

New polling reveals overwhelming public support for greater independence in appointments to government boards and organisations like Australia Post, the ABC and the Australian War Memorial. The research comes as Parliament considers reforms to improve merit-based appointments and reduce real or perceived political cronyism. Key Findings:  Two in three Australians (68%) think that the Government

Science before politics crucial in climate change fight

by Ebony Bennett

Just as the recent economic policy debate about tax breaks for multimillionaire superannuants has been overshadowed by sensationalist tabloid journalism (instead of what constitutes a dignified retirement), now the debate about climate policy risks being dominated by history wars and partisan politics – instead of what the science has been telling us for decades. So

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