Uncle Sam’s crazy education deals Mining for good government Life expectancy and the age pension Youth unemployment TAI in the media Infographic Weekly Updates from TAI 1. Uncle Sam’s crazy education deals When Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s vision for a deregulated tertiary education system was outlined in the 2014-15 Budget, its details weren’t a surprise.

The government announced in the budget that people aged under 30 will have to wait up to six months to receive Newstart payments. The Treasurer expects them to have a job despite the fact there has never been 100% employment  and youth unemployment is higher than it is for everyone else. The budget papers predict

The Imaginary Crisis The Budget Blow By Blow The Devil Is In The Detail TAI In The Media Infographic The Imaginary Crisis When the previous government introduced a resource rent tax on the miners to fund a range of government services and income support for low income earners, it was called ‘class warfare’. In last

Following the 2014 federal budget, support provided to older Australians through the age pension will be reduced while superannuation tax concessions will continue to rise. This will further increase the disparity between elderly Australians as well as the cost burden on the federal budget. Prior to the federal budget the cost of superannuation tax concessions

Dodgy dealings in NSW Australian Coal Industry in Structural Decline Another Warkworth Win Green Tape Recent submissions TAI Out and About TAI In The Media Dodgy dealings in NSW With ICAC bringing down the likes of Assistant Treasurer Arthur Sinodinos and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell over the Australian Water Holdings affair, it’s easy to miss

This week has given us not one, but TWO, examples of why Australia needs The Australia Institute, and why your support is so important. As a supporter of TAI, you will have heard from us many, many times – since 2009 in fact – that superannuation tax concessions are costing the federal budget billions of

The great Australian lock out Rio’s luck dries up Veggies with benefits Are banks the biggest, meanest monopoly going? Recent media Recent publications The great Australian lock out Furthering the Institute’s work on equity, we recently made a submission to the Senate inquiry into affordable housing, finding firstly that, although most Australians (67%) own their

Claim The gas industry regularly claims that it is a large employer. Facts Because of the industry’s size the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish separate figures for the gas industry. The latest employment figures for the oil and gas industry (November 2013) show that these two industries combined employed 23,200 people. The

Former Independent MP Tony Windsor today launched The Australia Institute’s new research paper on coal seam gas (CSG) at Parliament House in Canberra. The paper aims to bust many of the myths used by the gas industry to justify the expansion of CSG in Australia. Listen to Tony Windsor speak to Fran Kelly from Radio

It’s the month of love and we’re taking this opportunity to propose to you! We want to be your Valentine and not just for February. We’ve been doing some of our best work and trying to catch your eye, but the best research from the best people is expensive, so we thought it was time

Who: ‘In the end, no government has ever subsidised its way to prosperity’. Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. The claim: Industry protection through mechanisms such as subsidies, doesn’t foster industry development. The facts: : Most economies, during a strong period of economic development, used direct industry intervention strategies.  Britain, provided protection for the East India Company

“Without doubt I think our biggest achievement this year was the judgement against Rio Tinto’s Warkworth coal mine. The Australia Institute has spent years arguing that the claims made by the mining industry about the amount of jobs they create are exaggerated and hearing a judge agree with that assessment in rejecting a new mine

Who: ‘One thing is for sure: no country has ever taxed its way to prosperity’. Treasurer Joe Hockey, delivering the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The claim: High taxes are a barrier to increasing national income. The facts: The following graph plots the International Monetary Fund’s measure for GDP per person for various OECD countries

Who: “Whilst the carbon tax was not a primary cause of the closure, it represents a substantial burden on an export-driven mine.” A company spokeswoman The claim: That the carbon price is a substantial burden on the coal mine and was partly responsible for the decision to shut the mine. The facts: According to an

What do the Libs have against the poor Nats? Direct action debate needs to be less black and white Centrelink changes may help those missing out This Christmas give the gift of good ideas Recent publications Recent media What do the Libs have against the poor Nats? While National Party voters may have breathed a

Who: “Unfortunately for the Leader of the Opposition, he is shattered that we are putting $1.2 billion into school funding that he ripped out of the school funding model before the election.” Minister for Education Christopher Pyne The claim: That Labor took $1.2 billion out of the Gonski education funding reforms. The facts: The previous

Who: “[The renewable energy target (RET)] has already put up power prices for industry to such an extent that manufacturers are shutting down and moving overseas.” Senator Ron Boswell. The claim: Rising electricity prices due to the RET are an important contributing factor in the decline of manufacturing in Australia. The facts: According to the

Who: “these fires are certainly not a function of climate change, they’re just a function of life in Australia.” Prime Minister Tony Abbott The claim: The Prime Minister is saying that climate change is not a contributing factor to the October bushfires in the Blue Mountains. The facts: Climate change is making Southeast Australia hotter

Who:  “The study by the Allen Consulting group …. argues the economies of Adelaide and Melbourne would be “devastated” by the closure of auto manufacturing.” The claim: That the economies of Adelaide and Melbourne would be devastated by ending taxpayer subsidies to the car industry. The facts: The claim is based on analysis commissioned by

Who: The size of the Commonwealth government ‘has expanded significantly’ according to the terms of reference for the National Commission of Audit. The claim: In the preamble to the terms of reference Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Corman said that there had not been a thorough review of the ‘scope, efficiency and functions

Whether it’s a last minute meeting, a phone call that can’t be ignored or your inbox needs a clean out, many of you won’t manage to make it out the door today at the time you had hoped to. This scenario is the inspiration behind national Go Home on Time Day which will be held

Who: Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has instructed staff to publicly refer to asylum seekers as ‘illegal arrivals’. The Claim: The people who arrive on boats seeking asylum are doing so illegally. The Facts: Under the UN Refugee Convention, which Australia has signed, it is not illegal to arrive by boat and seek asylum in Australia. The

Who:  “If some politicians get their way a container tax will be introduced…Every family in New South Wales will be slugged more than three hundred dollars every year.” –  Full page ad by the Australian Beverages Council, in Sydney Morning Herald, October 15 2013, page 6. The claim: That implementing a cash-for-cans style container deposit

What do Alan Jones, Ross Gittins and Mamamia have in common? Mining’s David vs Goliath II Abbott’s risky free trade policy Recent Publications Q: What do Alan Jones, Ross Gittins and Mamamia have in common? A: They all agree that The Australia Institute does research that matters! Rather than jump ship to New Zealand following

Who: “The beverage industry, including Coca-Cola and Lion… estimate [a container deposit scheme] would cost the economy between $1.4 billion and $1.76 billion to set up.” Reported in Fairfax media. The claim: Coca-Cola claims that implementing a cash-for-cans style container deposit scheme (CDS) would cost the economy between $1.4 and $1.76 billion. The facts: The

Who: “the bottom line is … it needs to be a buffer from major urban population centers not from hamlets, and the gas companies are saying the system in NSW right now is simply not practical or workable”. Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane The claim: The buffer zone in NSW is now not practical or

Who: Unemployment in the mining industry is over 10%, causing “considerable pain and disruption within the professional ranks of the minerals sector”.  The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AIMM),  reported in the Australian Financial Review’s hard copy as ‘Mining jobless rate soars’ (AFR 24/9/2013, p8) The claim: AIMM claims that “many highly skilled minerals

Who: “We lost 80 years of prosperity for a whole state because of seven years of approvals which were unfinished.” Andrew Robb, South Australia Minister for Trade and Investment, referring to the failure of BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam expansion project in South Australia. The claim: That approval processes caused the failure of BHP Billiton’s expansion of

Who: “If Mr Abbott can justify his wild assertion of a 50 per cent reduction in emissions, he needs to tell us what alternative figures he is using, or immediately retract his fanciful claim.” Greens WA spokesperson on Climate Change, Robin Chapple MLC. The claim: The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott was incorrect in his comments