The Morrison Government’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with ‘technology not taxes’ is neither plausible nor original. New Australia Institute analysis shows that back in 1997 the Howard Government announced a similar plan, with no carbon price and no regulatory restrictions on fossil fuels, that failed to deliver more than 400 MT CO2-e of

The annual Climate Change Performance Index released today has ranked Australia last on climate policy, ranking in 64th place. Furthermore, Australia dropped four places to 58th out of 64 places overall in the index, ahead of only Korea, Chinese Taipei, Canada, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan. Australia received very low ratings for its performance across

“The Federal Government’s new Future Fuels Strategy will struggle to drive up electric vehicles sales and drive down transport emissions. Norway, the global leader on EVs, has driven the transition to cheaper, faster, and cleaner vehicles through credible policies and regulations,” said Richie Merzian, climate & energy program director at the Australia Institute. “The Prime

The COP26 Presidency has stated Monday 8 November in Glasgow will focus on the theme of adaptation, to ensure all countries enhance their resilience in the face of unavoidable climate impacts. Despite updating its National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy ahead of Glasgow, Australia remains especially at risk and lagging significantly behind other countries in

Independent think tank The Australia Institute has welcomed SA Labor’s commitment to repealing the state’s recently legislated EV Tax, if they win the next election. Key points: An EV Tax will come into force in South Australia in 2027, or when EVs make up 30% of new car sales, after government legislation passed the SA

Key Points: Overnight was a big ‘anti-coal’ day at Glasgow COP26. The UK has launched a new ‘Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement’, signed by 75 countries and non-state actors, including 44 countries. 21 countries are committing for the first time to phase out and not build or invest in new coal power, including

New research from the Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program reveals that planned new gas and coal projects in Australia would result in almost 1.7 billion tonnes of CO2e emissions annually – equivalent to building over 200 new coal power stations. This would be four times the amount of new coal power stations planned by

As Prime Minister Scott Morrison jets into Glasgow he faces renewed pressure to increase short term targets and phase out coal power. As the UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa said in her COP26 opening remarks, “we need even more ambition and all nations on board, especially the highest emitters in the G20 responsible for around 80 per

The media and information industries have lost some 60,000 jobs in Australia over the last 15 years. With almost half of those jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows active policy supports are urgently needed to stabilise and protect the ‘public good’ function of journalism. A new report by the Australia Institute’s Centre

To coincide with the G20 Summit in Rome 30-31 October, and COP26 in Glasgow which begins 31 October, the Australia Institute has placed several full-page advertisements to ask world leaders not to let Prime Minister Scott Morrison cheat on meaningful climate action. Building on research showing a lack of evidence that the Federal Government is

Key details: The Morrison Government has introduced a bill to Parliament to change the requirements for voters, to show identification on polling day. This is a well-used tactic to disenfranchise voters – particularly young voters, Indigenous voters, and voters with no fixed address. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has previously described multiple voting as “by

The passage of the EV Tax through the South Australian Parliament with some, but not adequate, compensatory support for the fledging electric vehicle sector is regrettable, The Australia institute has said. While important improvements were made to the EV Tax package in South Australia, including a six-year delay to the tax’s implementation and temporary purchase

New research from independent think tank The Australia Institute has found the level of State Government funding offered to incentivise the uptake of EVs in South Australia falls well short of what is on offer in other states. An additional $70 million of funding, effectively tripling the $36 million currently being offered, would be required

The Morrison Government’s Net Zero by 2050 deal is a fraud while the Government plots to double coal exports, open vast new gas fields and prop-up coal generated power. Furthermore, the budgetary cost of persuading the National Party to support Scott Morrison’s net zero target are trivial compared to the costs to the economy of

39 prominent Australians have signed an open letter co-ordinated by the Australia Institute, calling on Parliament to pass truth in political advertising laws that are nationally consistent, constitutional and uphold freedom of speech.

The budgetary cost of persuading the National Party to support Scott Morrison’s net zero target are trivial compared to the costs to the economy of delaying new investment according to a new Australia Institute analysis of economic modelling. The Business Council of Australia recently released modelling by Deloitte Access Economics of the economic benefits of

The National Integrity Committee welcomes the tabling in the Senate today by Senator Rex Patrick of Helen Haines’ Australian Federal Integrity Commission Bill to establish a Federal Integrity Commission. Recent events have highlighted the urgent need for a well-designed commission, with the powers of a standing royal commission and with safeguards against misuse of those

With the impacts of climate change already being felt in the Northern Territory, new research shows the Northern Territory Government’s draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Offsets Policy should be abandoned or at least heavily revised. A submission from The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program shows that the proposed offset system would undermine existing NT Government

Climate of the Nation 2021 Benchmark Report – Tasmanian supplement Amid the Tasmanian Government’s announcement to legislate net zero by 2030, new research shows Tasmanians have expressed their support for stronger action to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of global warming (61%, compared to 55% nationally), and six in ten (62%) oppose any

New research has revealed a fundamental failure in accountability surrounding the process of how Australia decides to engage in armed conflict overseas. In Australia, the decision to engage in armed conflict is taken by the Executive government without reference to the Parliament. Research by The Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability and Security & International Affairs

The Australia Institute has welcomed SA Labor’s strong opposition to the SA Government’s Electric Vehicle Tax during debate in the Lower House today and has called on the Parliament’s Upper House to reject the flawed policy. “The State Government’s deeply flawed EV Tax will pull the handbrake on the uptake of EVs and effective climate

In the lead-up to Glasgow COP26, concern about climate change is at an all-time high (75%) and 8 in 10 Australians (82%) support the phase-out of coal fired power stations, according to a new benchmark report released today by the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program. Launched by Chris Bowen MP, the Shadow Minister for

State governments trialling home quarantine need to take active steps to ensure they are not crossing a new frontier in the surveillance of citizens by using Facial Recognition Technology, warns the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology. This follows reports that in several states police have accessed COVID check-in data to undertake routine law enforcement activities.

A television advertisement which will begin airing nationally from Monday shows that without addressing the rapid expansion of gas and coal, any Net Zero by 2050 target is a fraud. Building on research showing a lack of evidence that the Federal Government is serious about emissions reduction, the advertisement identifies that while the Government plots

The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology has backed Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s proposal for a high-level review of the public health impacts of Facebook’s business model, calling for a Royal Commission into the company’s impact on Australian users. Evidence from an internal whistleblower to the US Senate this week has exposed how Facebook’s leadership

New research from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work confirms that workers in casual and insecure jobs have borne the lion’s share of job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic – both the first lockdowns in 2020, and the more recent Delta-wave of closures. Key Findings: Since May, workers in casual and part-time jobs have

New analysis from the Australia Institute shows that over $1 billion is spent by the Federal Government every year on consultancies, which often do not release the results of their work to the public; these funds could have created an additional 12,000 jobs in the public sector. Key Findings: The Federal Government spends over $1

The Tasmanian Government’s proposals to make political donations and election spending more transparent are a step in the right direction, but the new laws do not go far enough. The legislation still leaves Tasmania with the weakest regulation of third-party campaigners, such as industry lobby groups, of any state or territory in Australia. The proposed

The National Integrity Committee is deeply concerned about the recent changes made by the South Australian Parliament to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act 2012. As we all well know corruption in public office is insidious, well hidden, and erodes trust in our public institutions. We unreservedly endorse the need to ensure that reputations are

The Australia Institute has welcomed the Senate Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation decision to recommend that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) Regulations 2021 be disallowed. The Committee, chaired by Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, outlined concerns which include that the regulation lacks clarity, would give the Charities Commissioner a