New polling research reveals a majority of Australians agree that junk food advertising during children’s viewing should be banned, and an overwhelming majority support a ban on TV gambling advertisements. A majority of Australians also supported bans on alcohol and tobacco advertising on TV, and more agree than disagree that ads promoting fossil fuels should

The Labor Government has today announced the creation of a biodiversity certificates scheme which would see the conversion of Australia’s ecosystems into a new type of tradeable credit that would be traded to ‘compensate’ or ‘offset’ damage to the environment. “The Government’s announcement of a new ‘biodiversity certificates scheme’ raises concerns of more false solutions

As Minister Richard Marles lifts Peter Dutton’s ban on some charity and diversity events in Defence, polling research has revealed most Australians are either unfamiliar with the term ‘woke’, or would describe themselves as ‘woke’. Key Findings: Of those who described themselves as woke, three in five were major party voters (59%) and more intended

New research from the Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program on Australian and Taiwanese views regarding China reveal a large and growing degree of fear of China and the prospect of war. The research reveals more Australians think that China will attack Australia than Taiwanese believe China will attack Taiwan. Australian and Taiwanese men

The Australia Institute Tasmania commends the Tasmanian Government for recognising the need to improve salmon farming practices in its response to the Legislative Council Inquiry Report on Finfish Farming in Tasmania. The long-awaited Legislative Council Fin Fish Farming Inquiry report tabled in Parliament in May, highlighted the many problems faced by the industry. The Inquiry’s

The Honourable Minister for Planning Michael Ferguson MP has been urged to direct the Tasmanian Planning Commission to fulfil its statutory requirements by publishing a long-overdue Tasmanian State of the Environment Report, in a letter from the Environmental Defenders Office on behalf of the Australia Institute, Tasmania. The letter requests that, before August 22 2022,

New research by the Australia Institute shows that $5.9 billion in fuel costs would have been saved and emissions equivalent to a year’s worth of domestic flights would have been avoided, if robust fuel efficiency standards were adopted in 2015. As the fuel excise cut nears an end, Australia has an opportunity to save commuters

A complete disregard for the law by the Tasmanian Planning Commission and a lack of oversight by the Tasmanian Government, has been revealed by the release of documents via a Right to Information request by the Australia Institute Tasmania. The latest Federal State of the Environment Report paints a grim picture of why these reports

As tensions in the Pacific and war in Europe continue to escalate, Australia could play an important global role in reducing the spread and threat of nuclear weapons at an important upcoming conference in New York, according to a new research report. The Australian Government has been urged to adopt 4 key policy goals to

As early childhood educators prepare to strike and with Government poised to release terms of reference for a Productivity Commission review into the struggling system, new research has recommended Australia look at successful overseas policy options to deliver affordable, quality Early Childhood Education & Care. New research has recommended the terms of reference for the

Key Points: New research shows 2/3 Australians support a windfall profits tax, with only 12% opposed (attached) Western Australians (71%) are the most likely to support the introduction of a windfall profits tax followed by Queensland residents (69%). Origin revenue has more than doubled on the strength of commodity prices, cash distribution from Australia Pacific

Australia Institute Chair John McKinnon has announced that Ben Oquist is stepping down as Executive Director. Ben is to take up an opportunity in the private sector to work on business, union and NGO engagement in politics and government relations. The board is delighted to announce the Australia Institute’s Chief Economist Richard Denniss will begin

New research shows that only a trivial portion of Australia’s inflation has come from wages this year, while rising prices continue to drive not just inflation, but profits to record highs. Key findings: Wages made no contribution to Australian inflation in 2019-2020, or 2020-2021, measured using the ABS’s broadest indicator of inflation, the GDP Deflator

Women were 7-10 percentage points less likely to vote for the Coalition compared to men, according to Australia Institute research conducted from the evening of the May 21 federal election, and a subsequent poll taken in June 2022. Analysis of exit-polls also shows that Australians viewed the ‘treatment of women in politics’ as the second

Special Minister of State Don Farrell’s move to legislate truth in political advertising laws is a breakthrough win for democracy. The Australia Institute’s polling research has consistently shown that Truth in Political advertising laws are a popular, possible, and practical way of ensuring voters are not mislead on the way to the ballot box and

Attorneys-General and Shadow AGs from around Australia are invited to participate in a roundtable on Thursday with legal experts and academics to tackle the damaging practice of ‘stealthing’, convened by sexual consent advocate Chanel Contos, the inaugural director of the Australia Institute’s newly established Centre for Sex & Gender Equality.

The Federal Government’s appointment of respected former Chief Scientist Ian Chubb as chair of the independent review into Australia’s $4.5b carbon credits scheme, and the broad scope of the review, has been welcomed by policy experts at the Australia Institute. “Integrity must sit at the heart of Australia’s climate policies. The review is welcome and

The Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program welcomes Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ commitment to a more independent appointment process for the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and his review of the AAT’s operations. In a substantial research report released before the election, Cronyism in appointments to the AAT, the Australia Institute found a sharp rise in the

Data released yesterday from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) reveals that between May 8-14 as gas prices reached levels three times higher than the average of the last financial year, gas companies sent gas developed for Australian households and businesses north for export to the international market. The data, released by the AER in its

New research reveals political parties spent at least $12.5m on Facebook and Instagram advertising in the final 2 months of the 2022 election, with Labor and the Greens successfully engaging women voters to a far higher degree than the Coalition. Exit-polling released in conjunction with the report also reveals 73% of voters reported seeing misleading

A new report argues that energy ministers will need to increase the benefits to regional communities that host large-scale solar, wind and transmission infrastructure if governments want to ensure continued support for renewable energy. The report is published by the Australia Institute and the Sydney Environment Institute and will be launched by independent NSW MPs

As the Fair Work Commission prepares to announce this year’s increase in the national minimum wage, new polling data shows that the vast majority of Australians support lifting wages to keep up with rising inflation. The Australia Institute conducted a special exit poll, surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,424 Australians on the evening of

The current gas price crisis faced by Eastern Australia is the direct result of the export market exposing the Australian gas market to volatile international gas prices. Australia Institute research shows that there is no gas supply problem in Eastern Australia, with the amount of gas consumed by Australian households and industry dwarfed by the

Skyrocketing energy prices across Eastern Australia are almost entirely a result of Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels. Coal and gas exports have linked domestic energy prices to global prices, exposing Australia to volatile global prices. Producers are now making windfall profits from both Australian and global consumers. Gas prices have reached record levels across eastern

Nobel Laureate, former World Bank Chief Economist, and best-selling author Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz will visit Australia in July 2022 to discuss the need to expand the role of governments, unions, and civil society. The tour, hosted by the Australia Institute, will see Professor Stiglitz speak at a wide range of events for the general

The Australia Institute conducted a special exit poll, surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,424 Australians from 6pm Saturday May 21, which asked whether the Prime Minister should live in The Lodge. Key findings: • Over half of Australians (57%) agree that the Prime Minister should live in The Lodge in Canberra, compared to 20%

Transitioning Victoria and Australia’s bus fleets to zero emissions by 2030 must be a central component of any credible transport decarbonisation strategy, according to a new research report from the Australia Institute. The report, Next Stop: Zero Emissions Buses by 2030’, has been launched with new polling revealing the overwhelming majority of Victorians (71%) support

The long-awaited Legislative Council Fin Fish Farming in Tasmania Inquiry report tabled in Parliament today, highlights the many problems faced by the industry. The Australia Institute Tasmania commends the Committee’s call for an overarching Marine Plan for Tasmania through a comprehensive stakeholder consultation, informed by assessment of environmental, social and recreational values, with a transparent

Leading Tasmanian and national civil society groups have published an open letter in the Hobart Mercury today opposing the Government’s anti-protest law which they say is an attack on democracy and must be stopped. The proposed law would create new offences for peaceful protest activity, making peaceful protest penalties on-par with trespassing with a firearm,

“The NSW Parliament’s decision to legalise voluntary assisted dying means the Federal Parliament should remove the bar that prevents the ACT and the NT from considering similar legislation,” said Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia Institute. “Our research shows the majority of Australians support the Federal Parliament giving back Territory rights on legislating voluntary assisted