Media
Modest Fall in Unemployment Welcome but More Stimulus Needed: Australia Institute
Today’s employment figures show that more government stimulus is needed to counter the persistent, hidden economic fallout of COVID-19, The Australia Institute has said. “While a modest fall in unemployment is welcome, there is still a long way to go before we see a return to situation normal,” said Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist at The
Save lives or save the economy? That’s a false choice – and it’s obscene
For the past year Australians have heard politicians, business leaders and conservative commentators argue that we need to balance the benefits of protecting Australians from Covid-19 with the costs of those protections to “the economy”. Should we close down risky venues or keep them open? Should we worry about the elderly who might get sick
Yes, lockdowns mean lost jobs. But data shows that not locking down causes much more economic damage
With new stay-at-home orders covering many parts of the province, Ontarians are settling in for a month (at least) of daunting isolation. Restrictions are also being tightened in other provinces to slow the spread of COVID-19, until vaccines can turn the tide of the pandemic. Despite accelerating infection and overflowing hospitals, many oppose the new restrictions on
December 2020
Pandemic Exacerbated Inequality, Insecurity in Australia’s Labour Market
A year-end review of the dramatic changes in Australia’s labour market in 2020 has confirmed that the worst economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic were felt by Australians in relatively low-paid, insecure jobs. Key Findings: Workers in casual jobs lost employment at a rate 8 times faster than those in permanent positions Part-time workers suffered
3 in 4 NSW Voters Back Victorian Style Euthanasia Laws, Including 76% of Coalition Voters
New research from The Australia Institute has shown that a significant majority of New South Wales voters support the introduction of voluntary assisted dying laws, modelled on Victorian legislation that was passed last year. The Australia Institute surveyed 1,038 New South Wales residents between 10 and 16 December 2020. Key results: Seven in 10 NSW
Economy, Health, Climate Change Top Voter Issues in 2020
New research from The Australia Institute has shown that the economy, health and climate change were the top three issues of concern for Australian voters in the second half of 2020. The Australia Institute surveyed nationally representative samples of over 1,000 Australians each month from August about what they think is the most important national
Stop believing in fairytales: Australia’s coal industry doesn’t employ many people or pay its fair share of tax
Just as people in the Middle Ages mistakenly believed the sun revolved around the Earth, many modern-day Australians mistakenly believe our economy revolves around the coal industry. Of course, such misunderstandings aren’t an indictment of those who have been misled, but those who did the misleading. Galileo was imprisoned for life for the “heresy” of
New Research Centre Established to Honour Union Leader Laurie Carmichael
A new research centre dedicated to the legacy of one of Australia’s greatest union leaders will be established in 2021 at the Australia Institute. The newly formed Carmichael Centre will be established at the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, in the name of legendary manufacturing unionist Laurie Carmichael, who passed away in 2018 at
$50 Million Hand-Out to Northern Territory Frackers
The Federal Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt, has today announced a $50 million taxpayer-funded subsidy to fracking companies in the Northern Territory. “Subsidising oil and gas fracking is the last thing governments should be doing from both an economic and climate perspective,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.
Gas-fired recovery a massive employment dud
by Richie Merzian & Mark Ogge[Originally published in the Newcastle Herald, 18 November 2020] A gas-fired recovery from the economic damage caused by Covid-19 will not help the Hunter region. In fact, a gas-fired recovery will struggle to employ anyone, except the gas executives that proposed the idea. The bottom line is, creating jobs in
An unprecedented year: reflecting on 2020 with Richard Denniss
Let’s face it, 2020 has been a bit of a nightmare. This week, in our final episode of the year, Ebony Bennett and Richard Denniss revisit some of the Australia Institute’s predictions back in March 2020 and reflect on the way Australia’s economy and politics have changed this year in response to the pandemic. Mild
November 2020
Australian Workplaces Unprepared for Rising Heat Stress in Light of Climate Change
Last Summer’s devastating Black Summer bushfires exposed the under-preparedness of Australian workplaces to the serious health and safety risks of heat stress for many workers across Australia. Heading in to next Summer season, new research published today by the Centre for Future Work, outlines why working in extreme heat is a growing and urgent issue
JobSeeker Cut Will Push 190,000 More People Under Poverty Line—including 50,000 Children
The Morrison Government’s decision to reduce the rate of JobSeeker to $150 from January 2021 will push an additional 190,000 Australians below the poverty line—including 50,000 children—and have a devastating impact on low income families, shows new research by The Australia Institute. The Federal Government has announced it intends to cut the JobSeeker supplement again,
Unpaid Overtime Rife, Despite Shift to “Work from Home”
New research has revealed that almost three-quarters of Australians “working from home” are doing at least some of it in non-work-time. This has contributed to a substantial rise in the incidence of unpaid overtime this year, which now costs Australian workers almost $100 billion a year. The Centre for Future Work’s 12th annual Go Home on
Gas for export 12 times larger than gas for manufacturing
Research released today by The Australia Institute shows that the Federal Government’s “gas-fired recovery” will not assist Australia’s manufacturing industry. Increasing gas production is likely to benefit gas exporters, not manufacturers. Australian manufacturing used just 373 petajoules (PJ) of gas, while more than 4,500PJ went to exports in 2018-19. Just 56PJ, or 1% of Australian
The best way to help Australian manufacturing? Stop exporting gas
by Richard Denniss[Originally published on the Guardian Australia, 12 November 2020] While it might seem heretical to suggest we stop exporting gas, it’s important to remember that we only started exporting gas from Australia’s east coast in 2015. But since that fateful day, the wholesale price of gas has risen from around $3 to $4 per
Childcare Funding 20x More Effective at Creating Jobs than Tax Cuts
Increased public funding for child care is nearly 20 times more effective at creating jobs than a tax cut of the same size according to new macroeconomic modelling released by The Australia Institute today. The new report entitled ‘A comparison of the economic impacts of income tax cuts and childcare spending’ by Dr Janine Dixon,
SA Budget: Rush to Surplus Risks State’s Economic Recovery
Following the release of today’s State Budget, The Australia Institute has suggested that efforts to return to an early surplus will harm South Australia’s economic performance and undermine the state’s employment recovery from COVID-19. Key findings: According to the State Government, the budget will return to surplus in 2023-24. Previous recessions have shown that unemployment
Working from home, once a novelty, is now wearing thin
by Alison Pennington [Originally published in The Age, 05 November 2020] Lockdowns in Victoria have made job polarisations starker than in other states. Entire layers of workers, previously interacting in the flows of the daily commute, the morning coffee, dropping kids off at school, were suddenly pulled apart and isolated from each other. Connected only
October 2020
Austerity Would Damage Queensland’s Economic and Social Recovery
by Dan Nahum & Jim Stanford[Originally published via Medium, 26 Oct 2020] Like governments around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession knocked a huge hole in Queensland’s state budget. Big losses in revenues from the recession, combined with extra costs of fighting the pandemic, turned a planned $234 million operating surplus for this
Facts Matter: Fake News Harms Our Democracy
A full-page advertisement will be published in The Courier-Mail on Monday 26 October 2020 featuring Australia Institute research exposing the Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) false jobs claims. The QRC has a long history of using questionable economic modelling, known as input-output modelling, to exaggerate the number of jobs its members create. In fact, the Australian
Australia needs public spending – but beware the burden of white elephants
by Richard Denniss [Originally published by Guardian Australia, 14 October 2020] What should Australia spend half a trillion dollars on over the next 10 years? After decades of being told we “can’t afford” to spend more to help the unemployed, the disabled or to reduce carbon emissions, the Morrison government is set to embark on
The Most Secretive Budget Ever
In this episode we explain what ‘not for publication’ (or ‘nfp’) means and why it appears so often in the Budget papers, with Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell.www.tai.org.auHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Rod Campbell // @R_o_d_CProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum
Budget Polling: Majority of Australians Plan To Save, Not Spend, Tax Cuts
New research from The Australia Institute has shown that a majority of Australians plan to save the tax cuts announced in the Budget, bringing into question their ability to stimulate economic activity. The Australia Institute poll of 1005 Australians between 8 and 9 October 2020 also showed a majority of Australians think the Budget will
New Analysis: Least Transparent Budget on Record
New analysis from The Australia Institute has found that the 2020-21 Budget has set a new record for items deemed ‘nfp — not for publication’ because the item is classified, still under negotiation, or commercial in confidence. Budgets always have some items marked up ‘not for publication’, but Australia Institute analysis shows the 20-21 Budget
Coalition’s Tax Cuts Favour Men Over Women
New analysis from The Australia Institute has found that the Government’s income tax changes announced in the Budget will disproportionately advantage men over women, both now and into the future. Men will receive three in every five dollars of tax benefit in this financial year and then seven in every 10 dollars of the benefit
Tax Cuts: Temporary for Low and Middle Earners, Permanent for High Earners
New analysis from The Australia Institute has found that the income tax changes announced in the Budget yesterday will disproportionately advantage wealthy Australians both now and into the future. The limited, temporary benefit that will flow to Australians on low and middle incomes this year will be replaced by larger, permanent tax cuts given to
What you need to know about the federal budget
The federal budget forked out billions in spending — mostly on business tax write-offs and income tax cuts for high income earners — but it was poorly targeted if the intention is to create jobs and lower the unemployment rate. In his episode economists Matt Grudnoff and Alison Pennington unpack what you need to know
Opportunity Cost: At Least 160,000 Jobs Lost by Backing Tax Cuts Over Investment
The $16.9 billion spent on the early introduction of tax cuts in financial year 2021-22, as announced in the Budget, would create at least 160,000 fewer jobs than investing the same amount into healthcare, education and other public services, new analysis tonight from The Australia Institute has found. Key findings: According to the Government, the
This Morrison government decision could set women back generations
by Ebony Bennett [Originally published in the Canberra Times, 03 October 2020] Pioneering feminist Susan Ryan sadly passed away this week, not long after United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. While Ruth Bader Ginsburg pursued American women’s equality and freedom through the courts, Susan Ryan pursued it through the parliament, running on a