The Australia Institute will host a special event on Sunday 18 March with Senator Bob Brown and the author of the new book Rupert Murdoch: An investigation of political power Dr David McKnight. The Institute’s Executive Director Richard Denniss will lead a discussion on ‘media diversity and the power of media moguls’. David McKnight is

This edition of the Institute’s newsletter features: A great year -2011 in review Dr Richard Denniss Help needed: billions of tax dollars looking for a problem Lin Hatfield Dodds Big change or a lot of hot air? Dr Richard Denniss The rhetoric and reality of the mining boom David Richardson Bulky billing David Baker Why

Things you helped us achieve: 2011 wrap-up  Here at The Australia Institute we’re a big fan of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Irvine Index. Each week, economist Jessica Irvine condenses topical issues into salient numbers. After such a busy year at the Institute we thought it might be fun to create our own index which reflects

 Here at The Australia Institute we’re a big fan of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Irvine Index. Each week, economist Jessica Irvine condenses topical issues into salient numbers. After such a busy year at the Institute we thought it might be fun to create our own index which reflects our achievements. Here is The Australia Institute

Are you a slave to your smartphone? Just because technology has made work easier in certain respects does not mean that its effects have been consistently beneficial. While the marketing and advertising of IT products tends to focus on the working utopia that their purchase will usher in, in reality the use of smartphones, mobile

Are you a slave to your smartphone? Just because technology has made work easier in certain respects does not mean that its effects have been consistently beneficial. While the marketing and advertising of IT products tends to focus on the working utopia that their purchase will usher in, in reality the use of smartphones, mobile

 The gifts that turn you into a workaholic, The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 November Industry straddles both sides of ‘free trade’ debate, The Canberra Times, 28 September Executive and worker wages out of step, ABC Lateline Business, 16 November Nation brainwashed by cult of boom, The Age, 5 November Go back to Between the Lines

Polluted time: Blurring the boundaries between work and life, J Fear, 19 November Bulky Billing: Missing out on fair and affordable healthcare, D Baker, 28 October The Australian wine tax regime: Assessing industry claims, D Richardson and R Denniss, 28 September Mining the truth: The rhetoric and reality of the commodities boom, D Richardson and

Does this put pressure on their family life? A researcher at UNSW is interested in these issues and is hoping to talk to fathers with young children about their experiences balancing work and life. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please get in contact with George Argyrous at g.argyrous@unsw.edu.au or on 0432

Do you find yourself working back late? Never enough hours in the day to do all the things you need or want to do? Are work calls or emails getting in the way of enjoying free time? Or are you a manager who values your staff? Do you want to show them how important they

In theory, technology is supposed to make workers more efficient and productive. In practice, it may in fact do precisely the opposite. Rather than workers using these new tools to do their jobs more effectively, they are now increasingly beholden to those very tools. Just because technology has made work easier in certain respects does

Abbott takes a punt on repealing legislation Tony Abbott is making a habit of making promises he knows will be very difficult to deliver on. First, he promised to rescind the carbon price legislation if the Coalition takes government at the next election. As The Australia Institute pointed out, doing so would involve a protracted

Bulky billing: Is Medicare working? Abbott takes a punt on repealing legislation Social stigma costs the unemployed Events Recent publications Recent media Bulky billing: Is Medicare working?  New research by The Australia Institute released today reveals that Australians are paying more than $1 billion each year in out-of-pocket expenses for medical care. Despite Medicare being introduced

Industry straddles both sides of ‘free trade’ debate, The Canberra Times, 28 October Patients $900 a year out of pocket, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October Think tank questions value of resources sector, Lateline Business, 8 September Mining offers less than people think, The Age, 8 September You can catch Richard Denniss on The Bolt Report

Bulky Billing: Missing out on fair and affordable health care, D Baker, 28 October The Australian wine tax regime: Assessing industry claims, D Richardson and R Denniss, 28 September Mining the truth: The rhetoric and reality of the commodities boom, D Richardson and R Denniss, 8 September Mining Australia’s productivity, D Richardson and R Denniss,

Politics in the Pub – In conversation with ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher The Australia Institute will host its final Politics in the Pub for the year in Canberra on the evening of Wednesday 23 November. We are pleased to annouce that our guest will be the ACT’s Chief Minister Katy Gallagher. Ms Gallagher became

Last week was Anti-Poverty Week, an initiative designed to draw attention to the millions of Australians and billions of people around the world who live in poverty and the enormous disparity between their plight and the lives of the super-wealthy. One of the principle causes of poverty is unemployment. In many developed countries, the negative

Tony Abbott is making a habit of making promises he knows will be very difficult to deliver on. First, he promised to rescind the carbon price legislation if the Coalition takes government at the next election. As The Australia Institute pointed out, doing so would involve a protracted process which depends on many contingencies going

New research by The Australia Institute released today reveals that Australians are paying more than $1 billion each year in out-of-pocket expenses for medical care. Despite Medicare being introduced in 1984 to provide ‘fair and affordable’ health care to all Australians, many are now faced with extra costs for visits to the doctor, having prescriptions filled

Mining boom hits BlueScope workers while Abbott manufactures concern Can farmers afford the mining boom? Making the boom pay … if not now, when? The direct costs of waiting for direct action on climate change Events Recent publications Recent media As the significantly smaller than expected Convoy of No Confidence reaches Canberra, those protesting about

The Australia Institute now has a YouTube channel. View our recent Politics in the Pub event with OzHarvest’s Founding Director Ronni Khan. Dumping carbon tax ‘could take five years’, The Age, 11 August Paying to top your search results, ABC Radio National Breakfast, 16 August Paying for time out with the kids, BTalk, 4 August