Crushing the Australian (and Elinor’s) dream
A number of the housing policy proposals on offer in this election will make affordability worse.
The cruel housing hoax
Amy Remeikis and Bill Browne discuss the federal election campaign so far, the performance of the media, and how preferential voting actually works.
The four things (mostly) missing from the major parties housing platforms
The housing crisis continues to grip Australia and it’s a central part of this election campaign. Unfortunately, while both major parties have made housing policies key parts of their election platforms their policies mostly tinker around the edges and fail in four key ways. They do not address Australia’s distortionary, expensive, and regressive tax concessions
Dutton’s nuclear push will cost renewable jobs
Dutton’s nuclear push will cost renewable jobs As Australia’s federal election campaign has finally begun, opposition leader Peter Dutton’s proposal to spend hundreds of billions in public money to build seven nuclear power plants across the country has been carefully scrutinized. The technological unfeasibility, staggering cost, and scant detail of the Coalition’s nuclear proposal have
Housing cash splash – two out of three ain’t good enough
There were three significant housing reforms announced yesterday – just one will increase supply and bring down prices. The other two will make things worse.
Actually though, what the hell is going on in the economy?
It’s chaos out there.
Australians have never received their fair share of mining export profits, but Peter Dutton’s sovereign wealth fund won’t work
Australia is one of the largest exporters of mineral resources in the world, but Australians have never received their fair share of the profits from selling those resources.
Uni Canberra is spending big on things not needed, while cutting staff to save money
Australia’s beleaguered university sector is never far from the headlines these days. Former Labor leader and current University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Bill Shorten probably doesn’t envy his former ministerial colleagues who are currently on the campaign trail, but nonetheless, he’s in the news today. The Canberra Times reports that Shorten is announcing a new voluntary
If business groups had their way, workers on the minimum wage would now be $160 a week worse off
Had the Fair Work Commission taken the advice of business groups, Australia lowest paid would now earn $160 less a week.
.Bully’s gonna bully
The Australian defence and foreign policy establishment is trying to continue with alliance-as-usual with America, but Trump will always put Australia’s interests second.
Are Australians eating diseased salmon? Sickening new revelations from Tasmania
Shocking new revelations about Tasmanian salmon should leave all Australians feeling sick to the stomach.
RBA should call urgent meeting to cut rates now in the wake of Trump tariff chaos
The Australia Institute calls on the Reserve Bank of Australia to reconvene its monetary policy board immediately, rather than wait until May, to deliver the rate cuts Australians need now.
The continuing irrelevance of minimum wages to future inflation
Minimum and award wages should grow by 5 to 9 per cent this year
Trump’s tariffs won’t wreck Australia’s economy. But America’s could be cooked.
Americans are going to bear the brunt of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.
Our PBS is a national treasure, not an international trade barrier
Extraordinary new analysis from The Australia Institute reveals the prices Australians would pay if the US had its way and dismantled our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Home economics: housing, living standards and the federal election
With housing affordability at an all-time low and the spectre of Trump looming large over our region, Australians’ standard of living will be at the heart of the debate from now until election day.
Minimum wage increase would not impact inflation
The Australia Institute supports the call for a real wage increase for those on the minimum wage and award wages.
Rate hold more political than the cut we should have had
Today’s decision to keep interest rates on hold is more political than if the RBA had cut rates.
March 2025
The Liberal Party defies its own history on tax
For decades, the Liberal Party has prided itself on being the “party of lower taxes”.
Migrants are not to blame for soaring house prices
The problem of housing affordability is not too many migrants, but too many tax breaks for investors.
.A Budget that does no harm (sort of)
This “wimpy” budget tells us one thing: the election campaign is here.
Fuel excise cut: bad policy and not worth as much as advertised
Halving the fuel excise is bad for the environment and for most Australians won’t deliver the cost-of-living benefits that are being spruiked.
Increased enterprise agreements and wages show the government’s IR policy is working
The changes to industrial relations show that bold policy delivers good outcomes.
Sydney smells the stink from Tasmania
Sydney voters care about fish deaths and the impact of commercial fishing in Tasmania, according to a new poll.
We don’t need no Education
Trump has signed an Executive Order that seeks to dismantle the Federal Department of Education – but can he actually do it?
Don’t gut our environment laws
The Government’s proposed environmental law changes are an attack on our democracy and could benefit destructive industries far beyond Tasmania’s coastal ecosystems.
Commonwealth Budget 2025-2026: Our analysis
The Centre for Future Work’s research team has analysed the Commonwealth Government’s budget, focusing on key areas for workers, working lives, and labour markets. As expected with a Federal election looming, the budget is not a horror one of austerity. However, the 2025-2026 budget is characterised by the absence of any significant initiatives. There is
Harmless budget of missed opportunities
This pre-election budget is designed to annoy as few people as possible.
Budget 2025 Winners and Losers – The Australia Institute
Some quickfire analysis from Greg Jericho, Chief Economist
The Prime Minister should take his own advice
Ten years ago, Anthony Albanese launched a passionate defence of the laws which are designed to protect Australia’s environment.
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