Articles & Opinions
March 2024
Fixing the work and care crisis means tackling insecure and unpredictable work
The Fair Work Commission is examining how to reduce insecurity and unpredictability in part-time and casual work to help employees better balance work and care. The Commission is reviewing modern awards that set out terms and conditions of employment for many working Australians to consider how workplace relations settings in awards impact on work and
Climate change “a matter of planetary survival”: Anote Tong
The Albanese government’s failure to back up its rhetoric with meaningful action on climate change is “very disappointing”, according to a former President of Kiribati, Anote Tong.
Five Highlights from Technofeudalism with Yanis Varoufakis
Visionary economist Yanis Varoufakis toured Australia in March as a guest of the Australia Institute, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations in 2024.
Housing affordability is so bad that 2020 (!) now looks good
House prices after a brief fall in 2022 rose consistently during 2023 and housing affordability is now as bad as ever
National Press Club Address – Yanis Varoufakis
Yanis Varoufakis addressed the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday 13 March, 2024.
Stop the surge to big utes
This article originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph, in response to a column that critiqued the call for small cars on our road. You can read the original column via the link below.
On International Women’s Day: How the Fair Work Commission Can Really Take On the Gender Pay Gap
On occasion of International Women’s Day, the Centre for Future Work’s Senior Researcher Lisa Heap reviews the opportunities to use recent industrial relations reforms to more ambitiously address Australia’s gender pay gap.
The RBA gets its wish as Australia’s economy slows dramatically
As interest rates have climbed, Australia’s economy has slowed – let us hope the RBA has not stalled it.
Women still underrepresented in Australian parliaments
The Australia Institute has crunched the data on women’s representation in Australian parliaments.
Pork Barelling is Not Democracy
Politicians Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie dressed up as pigs this week in a memorable stunt in Parliament to draw attention to excessive supermarket profits.
February 2024
The gas industry is laughing at us as they make more money but not more tax
Despite soaring production and revenues the gas industry is not paying more tax
Better, Fairer Stage 3 income tax cuts
The Labor government announced changes to the Stage 3 tax cuts that delivered an additional $84 billion to low and middle income over ten years, the culmination of five years of Australia Institute research and analysis.
The changes to Stage 3 show that good policy is good politics
The changes to the Stage 3 tax cuts have passed the Senate and will become law.
Funny business: Why you’re paying the price for corporate greed
Australians are paying prices that are too high, too often.
The big error at heart of ‘right to disconnect’ opposition
This week, Parliament is set to approve a new set of industrial relations reforms, bundled in the second part of the “Closing Loopholes” bill.
Valentine’s Day, Indonesia style
Wednesday 14 February is a big day in Indonesia. The nation goes to the polls, and a new President will be elected. A popular and successful President will be succeeded by one of three candidates, none of whom is especially popular or generates much enthusiasm among voters.
More loopholes to close on insecure work … and a new right to disconnect from work
Late yesterday the final part 2 of the government’s Closing Loopholes industrial relations bill was passed by the Senate.
“Right to Disconnect” Essential as Devices Intrude Into Workers’ Lives
Australia’s Parliament is set to pass a new set of reforms to the Fair Work Act and other labour laws, that would enshrine certain protections for workers against being contacted or ordered to perform work outside of normal working hours. This “Right to Disconnect” is an important step in limiting the steady encroachment of work
Six Australian Electoral Inventions to Be Proud Of
No modern democracy has shown greater readiness to experiment with various electoral methods than Australia.
Explainer: How the government collects more from HECS/HELP than the PRRT
The government consistently collects more from people repaying their student debts than it does from the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax.
Extract: Consent Laid Bare by Chanel Contos
This is an extract from Consent Laid Bare by Chanel Contos, published by Pan Macmillan.
Stage 3 Tax Changes: A Win for Australians & Sensible Policy
Politicians are often accused of backflipping when they change their minds.
5 key takeaways from Richard Denniss’ National Press Club Address
Enjoy five key takeaways from Richard Denniss’ address to the National Press Club, 31 January 2024.
January 2024
Richard Denniss: National Press Club Address
On Wednesday, 31 January 2024, Richard Denniss and Allegra Spender MP addressed the National Press Club for a debate on the Stage 3 tax reforms. **Check against delivery** [See below for transcripts] Tax is good. Tax is an investment in our society and the highest taxed countries in the world also happen to be the
Stage 3 Done Better
The Albanese Government’s decision to redesign the Morrison-era Stage 3 tax cuts is a win for equality and the economy, with $84 billion dollars delivered to low- and middle-income earners over the next ten years.
RN Breakfast: Redesigning the Stage 3 Tax Cuts
Richard Denniss joins ABC RN Breakfast with Patricia Karvelas to discuss redesigning the Stage 3 tax cuts.
How to actually do Stage 3 better
Rejigging the flawed Stage 3 tax cuts would save up to $130 billion over a decade while delivering a bigger slice of the pie to 80% of taxpayers. Here’s four ways to make that a reality.
Here are 23 Times Carbon Offsets Were Found to be Dodgy
Carbon offsetting has received a lot of attention recently. As businesses and governments look to meet their climate targets, many are turning to carbon offsets. That is, they are paying someone else to reduce or avoid putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, so they don’t have to.
We Cannot Truly Value ‘Care’ Until Workers Using Digital Labour Platforms Get Fair Pay and Conditions
Unless minimum employment standards for care and support workers using digital labour platforms are guaranteed, decades of slow progress towards proper recognition of care work and equal pay for women could be undone.
Where is the middle income in Australia? Not where you think it is.
Australians right across the country are calling out for cost-of-living relief, but the government doesn’t want to risk any measures that will increase inflation—keeping interest rates higher for longer, or worse, pushing them up even further.
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