Last week the RBA released a paper showing that, surprise surprise, the mining industry has spill over benefits for industries such as construction and business services. Amongst all of the hype released by the mining industry in response there was no mention of the fact that the RBA found that these spill overs were much

“Unless we solve the problem of antimicrobial resistance to drugs, we will be facing a post-antibiotic era where things as common as a strep throat infection or a child’s scratched knee could once again kill.”  Margaret Chan, Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), 2012 The discovery of antibiotics was one of the defining events in

Still beating around the bush, M Grudnoff, 25 February Culture of resistance, K Tucker, 15 February Corporate power in Australia, R Denniss & D Richardson, 6 February For a full list of our publications, click here. All papers can be downloaded for free. Go back to Between the Lines

Age of the worried well-off, The Canberra Times, 2 March  Economics and Ethics: Rationality and choice,  ABC666 Canberra, 27 February Mining boom continues to hurt rural sector, ABC ‘PM’, 25 February Why can’t the government stand up to big polluters, ABC Radio National, 24 February Economics and Ethics: How much do we need to live on?, ABC666

The Australia Institute (TAI) has been researching the economic impacts of mining activity in Australia. This document provides a brief summary of key facts and links to TAI research papers, policy briefs and submissions currently available online. Key facts Mining ‘crowds out’ other industries: The expansion of mining causes a contraction in non-mining industries, particularly

The Australia Institute in numbers A year ago there was no carbon price, Richard had just finished debating Lord Monckton at the National Press Club and The Australia Institute had never produced an infographic. Things move fast in modern politics and think tanks have to work hard and fast to keep up. This year has

The Australia Institute works with a wide range of NGOs, community organisations and social enterprises on collaborative research projects, infographics and events. The Institute can help your organisation with: Polling – to help you better understand the extent of the policy problem you’re trying to fix Infographics – to help you explain the extent of

Next year is an election year and we are currently finalising our plans to ensure that progressive ideas are as prominent as possible in a campaign that may otherwise focus on scare campaigns about boats and debt. In addition to our new capacity to quickly generate and distribute factual infographics we also hope to enter

A year ago there was no carbon price, Richard had just finished debating Lord Monckton at the National Press Club and The Australia Institute had never produced an infographic. Things move fast in modern politics and think tanks have to work hard and fast to keep up. This year has been another extremely productive year

This edition of The Australia Institute’s newsletter features: All I want for Christmas …. David Baker The clash between coal and conservation Paola Cassoni Beating around the bush Matt Grudnoff Income and wealth distribution in Australia David Richardson 10th Henry Parkes Oration Prof George Williams And homelessness marches on …. Alison Laird The one early

 The high price of stress, Australian Financial Review, 15 November Go Home On Time Day, Radio Australia, 21 November Dig a little deeper for full mining story, Newcastle Herald, 28 November Where the buck stops in politics, Australian Financial Review, 27 November How not to make policy: Tasmanian forest deal, Crikey, 29 November Rethinking nation’s

If you listen to the mining industry Australia is at risk of killing the goose that’s showering us with golden eggs. Australia, they claim, has become a high cost place to do business. Wages are up, the exchange rate is making it more expensive to build new projects and Australia’s low productivity is making everything

The case against cutting the corporate tax rate, D Richardson, December 2012 Tasmanian Forest Agreement 2012: Who is the winner?, A Macintosh, December 2012 The rise and rise of the big banks, D Richardson, December 2012 Carbon credits from Western Australia’s multiple use public native forests: A first pass assessment, A Macintosh, December 2012 An unhealthy obsession:

This edition of The Australia Institute’s newsletter features: Productivity – lazy workers or lazy analysis? David Richardson Gina’s call a bit rich Dr Richard Denniss Exposing the great sunscreen cover-up Dr Gregory Crocetti Measuring fugitive emissions Matt Grudnoff Could you live on $245 per week? Ben Irvine Infographics The economy and social justice Senator Doug

Why we do what we do Gina: another reason we do what we do Media highlights for August TAI research on super tax concessions Events Why we do what we do Democracy is all about getting the numbers. Put simply, if you don’t have them in the parliament, you won’t be able to turn your

If you haven’t heard Gina Rinehart’s latest foray into the political debate around Australia’s productivity, here is an extract we found particularly shocking: “… Business as usual will not do. Not when West African competitors can offer our biggest customers an average capital cost for a tonne of iron ore that’s $100 under the price

Carbon price floor scrapping raises questions of cost, 7:30, 29 August Time to clear the haze of carbon price charges, The Canberra Times, 22 August How our courts are pricing justice out of public reach, Crikey, 22 August Tasmania’s forestry sector akin to ‘work for the dole’, Crikey, 21 August Calls for more reporting of

Research papers Can the taxpayer afford ‘self-funded retirement’?, R Denniss and D Richardson, 15 August 2012 What price dignity?, R Denniss and D Baker, 1 October 2011 The great superannuation tax concession rort, D Ingles, 24 February 2009 Recent op-eds Political cowardice on ‘self-funded’ super, Australian Financial Review, 4 September 2012 Super subsidies: a budget

TAI

Democracy is all about getting the numbers. Put simply, if you don’t have them in the parliament, you won’t be able to turn your ideas into laws.  With the Prime Minister announcing a raft of new spending measures, the numbers she has on the floor of parliament and amongst her COAG colleagues are going to

With the PM announcing a raft of new spending initiatives people are asking ‘how will she fund it?’ The cost of super tax concessions is set to blow out from $30 billion per year to $45 billion per year. This blowout alone is enough to fund Gonski, NDIS and Denticare and still have change left

Saturday 8 September 5pm Canberra premiere screening of the documentary Bimblebox. For details click here. Monday 10 September 5.30pm Sydney Richard Denniss will participate in a panel discussion Austerity and Growth.  For details click here.  Wednesday 19 September 7.15pm  Canberra Politics in the Pub with Australian Greens Senator Richard Di Natale.  For details click here. Thursday

Will WA’s giant gas hub really be good for the economy? Productivity – lazy workers or lazy analysis? Research that matters Perception versus reality in Tassie forestry debate Date announced for national Go Home On Time Day 2012 Events Recent Publications Recent Media Will WA’s giant gas hub really be good for the economy? The

Will WA’s giant gas hub really be good for the economy? Productivity – lazy workers or lazy analysis? Date announced for national Go Home On Time Day 2012 Research that matters Perception versus reality in Tassie forestry debate Events Recent Publications Recent Media Will WA’s giant gas hub really be good for the economy? The

The Australia Institute has commenced a research project looking at how structural changes in the wider economy are affecting regional economies, using forestry in Tasmania and manufacturing in North-West Melbourne as our case studies. While our research paper will not be released for another month or so, the survey conducted for this project has revealed

Super subsidies: a budget spending secret, The Canberra Times, 7 August The rise of the climate sceptics, Crikey, 6 August Hurting the community, The Canberra Times, 4 August Time to untangle the web of renewable energy policies, Crikey, 3 August What we don’t know can hinder us, Australian Financial Review, 25 July Lower cost, lower

Inquiry into the allowance payment system for jobseekers and others, D Richardson, 9 August James Price Point: An economic analysis of the Browse LNG project, M Grudnoff, 9 August All the lonely people: Loneliness in Australia, 2001-2009, D Baker, 29 June Submission on Arrow Energy’s Gladstone LNG Plant proposal, M Grudnoff, 29 May For a

The end of growth: Richard Heinberg The Post Carbon Institute’s Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg will be in Australia in September conducting a speaking tour about peak oil and the economy of the future. Author of ten books, including The End of Growth, Richard will discuss the need to transition away from fossil fuels. His tour

Australia’s productivity is back in the news, this time a survey ranking us second worst of 51 countries for productivity growth. But productivity means lots of things to different people and often the discussion is very confused, not least amongst business people. On a recent visit to Australia the chief executive officer of Royal Dutch

It’s always gratifying when our back catalogue of research is given a new lease on life and in the past fortnight we’ve had reason to be extra pleased. Our research on nanotechnology, legal aid, dog-whistling in politics and the adequacy of unemployment benefits have all had another airing. Nanotechnology – The Australia Institute is supporting