Deteriorating Disability Worker Pay, Conditions Undermining NDIS
An urgent overhaul of poorly paid and casualised disability support work is needed to ensure the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s viability and protect participants from substandard care, a new report by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work says.
Labor Voters Overwhelmingly Support Royal Commission into Offshore Detention
Australia Institute research shows a strong majority of Australians, including an overwhelming majority of Labor voters, support the establishment of a Royal Commission into offshore detention. The Australia Institute surveyed voters about recent allegations of potential corruption and bribery in relation to the management of Australia’s offshore detention network and asked their opinion about potential
August 2023
SA Voice Polling: Majority Support for “Yes” in Key State
The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 605 South Australians about the upcoming referendum to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Report Reveals True Potential of Fully Funded Public Schools
A new report from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work is calling for increased investment in public school funding to lift flagging school completion rates and spark economic growth.
Funding and transparency needed for Tasmania’s long-overdue State of the Environment report
Leading organisations have warned that Tasmania’s first State of the Environment report in almost 15 years will not be fit for purpose without an immediate funding boost and increased transparency.
Overwhelming voter support for rent caps and increased housing spend
Research released today by the Australia Institute shows overwhelming national support for rent caps and direct federal government spending on affordable housing.
An Invitation That Should be Accepted – Leading Judges Support the Voice in Open Letter
An eminent group of retired judges have published an open letter to the people of Australia in support of a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum on the Voice.
July 2023
Polling: Migrants & Young People Most Likely to Support Voice
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1004 Australians about their attitudes towards the upcoming referendum to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Key Findings: A majority of Australians (52%) say they will vote “Yes” to alter the Constitution to
Ban Gambling, Alcohol, Fossil Fuel Ads in Sport: SA Voters
New research from public policy think tank The Australia Institute shows that the majority of South Australians support banning gambling, alcohol and fossil fuel advertising during sporting events and in sporting broadcasts in the state. The findings are the result of a survey of 604 South Australians, undertaken by The Australia Institute between 15 May
June 2023
Federal government under legal obligation to protect Maugean skate
The Australia Institute Tasmania has written to federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, urging her to intervene and end salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, which is threatening the endangered Maugean skate. The letter asks the Minister to review the decision to greenlight expanded marine farming operations. The decision was made more than a decade ago
May 2023
The Duck Stops Here: Economic Benefits from Vic Duck Shooting Ban
Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry into native bird hunting arrangements will hold hearings today, with The Australia Institute appearing at 11.30am.
Rushed SA Anti-Protest Laws Threaten Civil Liberties: Democracy Experts
Laws which impose extreme penalties and jail time for peaceful protest have been rushed through the South Australian lower house in what democracy experts have described as an alarming threat to civil liberties.
Scientists’ urgent call for action to save Maugean skate
The Australia Institute will join a growing number of state and national organisations, independent scientists and Tasmanians, demanding an immediate halt to salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour. The Maugean skate is teetering on the brink of extinction according to scientists from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), who this week took the extraordinary
Vast Majority Want Greater Affordable Housing Direct Investment in Budget
New research from the Australia Institute shows that eight in 10 Australians (80%) agree that the Federal Government should spend more money to directly build affordable housing in the Budget. The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitudes toward the Federal Government’s response to the housing crisis. Key Findings:
April 2023
Getting Off Gas: Majority Support Household Electrification as Economic, Climate Costs Rise
New national research shows a majority of voters feel positive about switching Australian homes away from gas and moving to full electrification, as cost of living and climate concerns continue to rise. The report, based on a nationally representative survey of Australian households undertaken by The Australia Institute and SEC Newgate, reveals very little opposition
Inequality on Steroids as Bottom 90% get just 7% of Economic Growth Since 2009
Inequality has been on steroids in Australia over the last decade with new data revealing the bottom 90% of Australians receive just 7% of economic growth per person since 2009, while the top 10% of income earners reap 93% of the benefits. The data shows a radical reversal on the long term trend from the
March 2023
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
February 2023
Life Expectancy, Suicide, & Avoidable Death Significantly Worse for Far West NSW than Sydney
New analysis reveals residents born in Far West NSW are suffering substantially worse health outcomes than residents in Sydney. People in Far West NSW are dying earlier than they should, from avoidable causes, and while suicide rates have steadied in Sydney, they are on the rise in the most remote parts of the state. The
Nordic Model Shows Subsidies Support Media Diversity
Nordic models of providing subsidies to the media help support media diversity and public interest journalism and should be considered as part of the Albanese government’s commitments to review and improve media policy, according to a new report from the Nordic Policy Centre at the Australia Institute. Key findings: Norway’s direct ‘press support’ subsidies for
December 2022
9 in 10 Believe It’s Governments Job to Ensure Wages Keep Up with Cost of Living: Research Polling
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
October 2022
Push for Nationally Consistent Laws to Prevent Stealthing: Research Report
New research published by the Australia Institute, in partnership with RMIT, shows there is legal ambiguity surrounding the non-consensual removal of a condom during sex, also known as stealthing, that could be fixed through nationally consistent laws. The report Stealthing: Legislating for Change finds that while an overwhelming majority of Australians support criminalisation, many Australians do not
August 2022
Polling Research: Give Junk Food & Gambling Ads the Punt
New polling research reveals a majority of Australians agree that junk food advertising during children’s viewing should be banned, and an overwhelming majority support a ban on TV gambling advertisements. A majority of Australians also supported bans on alcohol and tobacco advertising on TV, and more agree than disagree that ads promoting fossil fuels should
‘Woke Up Call’: Australian Attitudes to and Perceptions of ‘Wokeness’
As Minister Richard Marles lifts Peter Dutton’s ban on some charity and diversity events in Defence, polling research has revealed most Australians are either unfamiliar with the term ‘woke’, or would describe themselves as ‘woke’. Key Findings: Of those who described themselves as woke, three in five were major party voters (59%) and more intended
July 2022
Roundtable to Tackle National ‘Stealthing’ Laws with Sexual Consent Advocates
Attorneys-General and Shadow AGs from around Australia are invited to participate in a roundtable on Thursday with legal experts and academics to tackle the damaging practice of ‘stealthing’, convened by sexual consent advocate Chanel Contos, the inaugural director of the Australia Institute’s newly established Centre for Sex & Gender Equality.
May 2022
NSW Legalises Voluntary Assisted Dying, Time to Grant Territories Their Democratic Rights
“The NSW Parliament’s decision to legalise voluntary assisted dying means the Federal Parliament should remove the bar that prevents the ACT and the NT from considering similar legislation,” said Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia Institute. “Our research shows the majority of Australians support the Federal Parliament giving back Territory rights on legislating voluntary assisted
One in Five Worked with COVID Symptoms; Sick Leave Entitlements Must Be Strengthened
Almost one in five Australians (and a higher proportion of young workers) acknowledge working with potential COVID symptoms over the course of the pandemic, according to new opinion research released today by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. The research confirms the public health dangers of Australia’s patchwork system of sick leave and related
Facebook Revelations an Attack on Democracy
“Today’s revelations in the Wall Street Journal confirm what we suspected at the time: that Facebook’s takedown was a deliberate attack on Australian democratic institutions, deployed as a negotiating tactic to avoid paying for news content,” said Peter Lewis, Director of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology. “The fact that this global corporation was
Pandemic Workforce Crisis Requires TAFE Investment in Early Childhood Education to Boost Economy: Report
A new report has found pandemic workforce shortages should be tackled through investment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to boost employment, unlock productivity and support life-long development outcomes for children.
April 2022
Housing Affordability Crisis Requires Nordic Policy Solutions: Experts
The key driver of Australia’s acute housing affordability crisis is its over-reliance on just two housing options – private home ownership and private renting. New research from the Australia Institute’s Nordic Policy Centre shows that Nordic countries have a wider repertoire of policies, and Australia can learn from policies that are already in practice in
Free Undergraduate Education to Save Universities and Jobs: Report
The next federal government can save universities, make undergraduate education free for all Australians and employ tens of thousands of staff securely by lifting the public spend on higher education to just one per cent of GDP, according to a landmark new report. The Australia Institute’s Centre For Future Work report shows, if the federal
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