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

The Western Australian Government together with Woodside is proposing to build the Browse LNG precinct on James Price Point in the Kimberley region of WA. Recently you may have heard a lot about the environmental consequences of doing so – the area is a known whale migration path – but there has been very little

The Australia Institute is supporting a complaint made to ACCC by Friends of the Earth (FOE) regarding claims made by Antaria Limited that the zinc oxide sunscreen ingredient it manufactures – ZinClear IM™ is ‘non-nano’. FOE have subsequently made another complaint about Ross Cosmetics which claims that products used to manufacture sunscreens for third parties

This edition of The Australia Institute’s newsletter features: Debt is not the villain Dr Richard Denniss Childcare’s market model in dire need of reform Eva Cox It’s hard to escape the big four banks David Richardson Illicit drugs: Changing the current prohibitionist paradigm Prof Bob Douglas A promise delayed, is a promise denied Bridget Griffiths

It’s that time of year again when we appeal to your generous nature, your love of progressive ideas and your support for ‘research that matters’ …. and your ability to claim it back as a tax-deduction!For us, it’s an opportunity to show you what can be achieved and why we think Australia needs The Australia

Politics in the Pub – Father Frank Brennan AO Australia’s 20 year search for a coherent, workable and moral asylum policy 2012 marks 20 years since the policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers was introduced by the Keating Government. Today, more than 4000 asylum seekers are being held in immigration detention, 460 of those

12 – research papers, compared to eight in the first six months of 2011 (on issues ranging from the impact of the mining boom, to the inadequacy of unemployment benefits, access to legal aid, pokies reform and the use and abuse of economic modelling) 18 – the number of years since The Australia Institute was founded

On Valentine’s Day in February we launched our LOVE YOUR THINK TANK fundraising drive with the goal of reaching 100 people who each month can help us work towards a more progressive Australia.  We’re delighted to say that we are just over half way towards reaching our target, with 54 people now signed up as