When you reduce the revenue available to fund government services, you inevitably increase inequality

New research reveals Australian coal export revenue reached $112 billion in 2021-22, an increase on the previous year of $73b or 186%, as Federal Parliament reconvenes to legislate price caps on coal and gas companies making windfall profits, according to a new report From Russia With Love by leading public policy think-tank the Australia Institute.

More than 100 economists and tax experts have published an open letter calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reconsider the Stage 3 tax cuts for high income earners, labelling the tax cuts as economically unaffordable and unfair. The open letter appears as a full-page advert in the SMH & The Age today. High profile

Public services massively reduce inequality, but the Stage 3 tax cuts will make it much more difficult to fund them

The build up of savings during the pandemic is over – now we need strong income growth to keep the economy going as the Reserve Bank tries to slow it.

As approvals for public sector housing hit 2 year lows, the ambition for more public housing needs to be even greater than the government’s 20,000 in 5 years target.

For most of this year, the warnings and news about inflation have been one of hope for the best but experience the worst. Predictions of future inflation growth have continually been revised upwards and with it has been the suggestion that interest rates need to keep rising.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Australians about their views on wages and cost of living between 1-4 November. The majority of Australians report that their wages have not kept up with the cost of living over the past 12 months. “This research shows most Australians feel like they are falling

Industrial Relations Reform Sets Stage for Significant Acceleration of Wage Growth.

Stronger climate action and better resource sector governance are two ways in which Australia can partner with countries in our region to promote stability according to a research submission by the Australia Institute to the Inquiry into supporting democracy in our region. Key Points: Climate action has languished for the last decade and fossil fuel

The latest economic outlook from the OECD highlights the precarious path for Australia over the next few years.

New research shows Australian workers are on average working 6 weeks unpaid overtime per year, costing over $92 billion dollars in unpaid wages across the economy. The average worker is losing over $8,000 per year or $315 per fortnight due to what researchers have branded “time theft”. 23 November 2022 marks Go Home on Time

The latest wage rises from enterprise agreements show good improvement, but overall, workers continue to see their wages lag behind inflation

The latest wages price index figures show that for the first time since 2013 wages grew by more than 3% in the past year.

Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter, Between the Lines. Thanks to support from people like you, our work and impact has grown. It can be hard to keep up with everything we’re up to, so we’re going to distil it for you, sending our best and latest research and analysis, opinion pieces, videos and news straight to your inbox every fortnight-ish. Subscribe to get it sent to you.

Business groups like the ACCI and AI Group say they want higher wages, but their recommendations for minimum wage rises show they rarely want real wages to rise

Proposed reforms to Australia’s industrial relations laws are likely to support higher coverage for collective bargaining in the national labour market, and provide a boost to stagnant wage growth according to new research from the Centre for Future Work. The report reviews historical data on the erosion of collective bargaining in Australia, and its close

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine caused a massive surge in gas and LNG prices that have enabled gas companies around the world, including Australia to make record-level profits.

Proposed reforms to Commonwealth industrial relations laws would create more opportunities for collective bargaining to occur on a multi-employer basis, rather than being limited solely to individual workplaces or enterprises. Business groups have attacked this proposal as a dramatic change that would supposedly spark widespread work stoppages and industrial chaos.

New research from the Centre for Future Work quantifies the dramatic risks faced by workers whose employers unilaterally terminate enterprise agreements during the course of renegotiations. This aggressive employer strategy, which became common after a precedent-setting 2015 court decision, would be curtailed by new industrial relations legislation proposed by the Commonwealth Government.

New polling research reveals an overwhelming majority of Australians (86%) support a government intervention in the gas industry, either through export controls, a windfall profits tax, or both. Key Findings: An overwhelming majority of Australians (86%) support a government intervention in the gas industry, either through export controls or a windfall profits tax or both.

The current tightening of monetary policy is undoubtedly having an impact. While it may take some time for the slowing of inflation to flow through to the official CPI figures – especially given the level of inflation that is being imported – the economy is set to slow drastically.

In defending the Stage 3 tax cuts in parliament, Angus Taylor inadvertently highlighted the real benefits for low-middle income earners comes from Stages 1 and 2.

The latest enterprise agreements figures show small signs of wage growth and once again the benefits of being in a union