Articles & Opinions
July 2025
Donald Trump cannot make the Epstein files go away. Will this be the story that brings him down?
Conspiracy theories are funny things. The most enduring ones usually take hold for two reasons: first, because there’s some grain of truth to them, and second, because they speak to foundational historical divisions. The theories morph and change, distorting the grain of truth at their centre beyond reality. In the process, they reinforce and deepen
Open Letter to the Tasmanian Government
The Australia Institute and 30 other organisations from around Tasmania have published an open letter with 10 asks for the environment from whomever forms Tasmania’s next government. When cross-benchers and major parties have struck successful power-sharing agreements elsewhere, they covered policy as well as procedure, making now the ideal time for progress.
The disempowerment of the ‘consumer’ in public services
We are all consumers. Every one of us.
‘The least they can do’. We finally find out what Labor will do with its second term
The first week of the 48th Parliament was very revealing.
Why we need a tax on private schools
It is odd that many who talk about wanting more tax revenue to come from the GST would balk at the easiest services to broaden it to like private schools and private health insurance.
Australia’s Gas Use On The Slide
The Federal Government has released a new report that includes projections of how much gas Australia is set to use over the coming decades. There is no ambiguity in its message: Australia reached peak gas years ago, and it’s all downhill from here:
Canada, don’t make the same mistake with LNG that Australia did
For decades, the populous eastern states of Australia had an abundant supply of low-cost gas.
While university leaders zip around the world, consultants are creating twin crises on Australian campuses
University leaders are keeping their institutions in the news for all the wrong reasons. Yesterday, it was University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) turn for a round of bad press.
Why a fossil fuel-free COP could put Australia’s bid over the edge
When the medical world hosts a conference on quitting smoking, they don’t invite Phillip Morris, or British American Tobacco along to help “be part of the solution”.
10 reasons why Australia does not need company tax cuts
1/ Giving business billions of dollars in tax cuts means starving schools, hospitals and other services. Giving business billions of dollars in tax cuts means billions of dollars less for services like schools and hospitals. If Australia cut company tax from 30% to 25% this would give business about $20 billion in its first year,
Tasmania can afford a new stadium. Here’s how.
The Macquarie Point stadium proposal is controversial. It’s also painfully expensive.
The secret deal with ‘Big Gas’ that threatens heritage listed, ancient rock art
A veil of secrecy hangs over the conditions that will apply to Woodside Energy’s massive gas export project on the Burrup Peninsula in WA – the kind of secrecy that corporate power can command.
South Australia’s leap into the unknown with political finance changes
July 1 marked a dramatic change in how political parties and candidates are funded in South Australia.
America’s AUKUS, PBS push forces Australia toward sovereignty red line
Former Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley famously didn’t own a dinner suit.
Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other”. Trump, who has craved the award for years, sees himself as a global peacemaker in a raft of
The Liberals haven’t changed, they’ve just worked out when to keep their mouths shut
This week, press gallery doyenne Michelle Grattan wrote about political and news cycles and how the two work.
Tax reform isn’t hard – slug multinationals and subsidise the things we want more of
Taxes are the price we pay for civilisation, but they are also a tool we can use to change the shape of our economy, not just its size.
The house always wins: Why we can’t insure our way out of the climate crisis
It is time for the Australian government to admit we can’t insure our way out of the climate crisis our fossil fuel exports do so much to cause.
June 2025
Anthony Albanese can restrict gas exports and save the Tomago aluminium smelter
Taxpayers are being asked to hand over billions to multinational mining giant Rio Tinto to help keep its Tomago aluminium smelter open – again.
Here’s something absolutely cooked about books in Australia
It’s a big week for Australian culture, with announcement of the shortlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, one of the country’s top writing prizes.
As the US chooses destruction over diplomacy in Iran, Australia has to decide between principle and prostration
Australia, like Little Sir Echo, whimpers after the world’s premier bully bombs the ‘bully of the Middle East’.
Australian CEOs are still getting their bonuses. Performance doesn’t seem to matter so much.
Almost all of Australia’s top chief executives are, according to their boards at least, knocking it out of the park in terms of performance.
Do you have $3 million in super? Me neither. These changes will actually help you
Labor’s planned reforms to superannuation tax concessions may be being reported as “controversial” but the fact is they are popular.
If events around the world are sending you insane you’re not alone, and there’s a name for it
If you feel like you are going a little insane at the moment, you’re not alone.
Gender parity closer after federal election but “sufficiently assertive” Liberal women are still outnumbered two to one
Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 federal election, what does it mean for the representation of women in Australian parliaments? In short, there has been a significant improvement at the national level. When we last wrote on this topic, the Australian Senate was majority female but only 40% of House of Representatives
Support for super tax reform among young, women makes Coalition’s dissent a real puzzle
Predictably, the Liberal Party is opposing reforms that would reduce tax concessions on money made from superannuation balances above $3 million. But its stance is out of touch with the public mood.
The system is working, but big parties must heed voters and engage with minor parties
Tasmanians keep voting for a power-sharing parliament over the wishes of the major parties.
Polling – Superannuation
YouGov conducted a national survey of 1,535 voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 6 and 11 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements. The margin of error on the effective sample size is 3.2%.
Where the ACT could claw back more than half a billion dollars
The GST was supposed to solve the states and territories’ financial problems.
A fair go for temporary workers from the Pacific
On a whistlestop tour of Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu in May, Foreign Minister Penny Wong wanted to focus on climate change, security, and aid funding.
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