New analysis shows Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) producers reaped up to $40 billion of windfall profits in FY 2021-22 thanks to soaring global gas prices due to the war in Ukraine. The research comes following a damning report from the ACCC into the gas industry around price-fixing and subsequent condemnation of cartel-like behaviour on the

The respected National Integrity Committee of former judges has welcomed the Government’s NACC legislation but warned that the exceptional circumstances prerequisite for public hearings would undermine the public interest without further amendments to the Bill, in their submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the Bill. Integrity Committee member and former Supreme Court Judge the Hon.

The Chubb Review into Australia’s scandal-plagued carbon offsets system might not provide the reset needed for the carbon market given the potential conflicts of its members, its timing in relation to other climate reforms and by distracting from more effective emissions reduction policies, according to a submission by The Australia Institute.

New research published by the Australia Institute, in partnership with RMIT, shows there is legal ambiguity surrounding the non-consensual removal of a condom during sex, also known as stealthing, that could be fixed through nationally consistent laws. The report Stealthing: Legislating for Change finds that while an overwhelming majority of Australians support criminalisation, many Australians do not

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about the circumstances under which the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) should be allowed to hold public hearings. The results show that most Australians support the NACC being permitted to hold public hearings under more circumstances than in the currently tabled legislation. Key Results: More

New research has revealed that Gen Z would receive only 2.8% of the first year of the Stage 3 Tax Cuts legislated by the Morrison Government. The newly released age-based data break down reveals that in financial year 2024-2025, those under 25 years old would receive only 2.8% of the billions in tax cuts which

New research reveals more than twice as many Australians value good economic management over sticking to election promises regardless of how economic circumstances have changed, according to the Australia Institute. The polling also reveals almost twice as many Australians support repealing the State 3 tax cuts than those who oppose, and most Australians accurately understand

The Australian Government’s Safeguard Mechanism is at risk of safeguarding new gas and coal projects and driving increased demand for low-integrity carbon credits without extensive reform, according to a submission from leading public policy think-tank the Australia Institute to the Federal Government. To avoid increased reliance on low-integrity carbon credits, a more affordable and simpler

The Australia Institute Tasmania commends the Planning Ministers decision to direct the Tasmanian Planning Commission to produce a State of the Environment (SOE) Report by June 2024. Following research and advocacy from the Australia Institute, the EDO and other groups, the Minister for Planning Michael Ferguson MP has recognised the importance of SOE Reports, that

New research from public policy think tank The Australia Institute shows that health, the economy and climate change remain the top three political issues for South Australians, following the March State Election. The Australia Institute surveyed of a representative sample of 616 South Australians in September, asking about their voting intention, top political issue, and

The Federal Government’s tabling of legislation to establish a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has been welcomed by the Australia Institute’s National Integrity Committee of Former Judges. However, they warn that the exceptionally restrictive prerequisite for public hearings would undermine the public interest without further amendments to the Bill. “The overwhelming majority of Australians have shown

Seafarers working on foreign-registered freight ships in Australian waters face regular theft of wages and other entitlements due to legal loopholes and lax enforcement of labour standards, according to a new research report published today by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. The report, titled Robbed At Sea, examines records of wage inspections conducted

New polling research shows a majority of voters in the marginal seat of Boothby think Australia has some responsibility for the pollution caused by burning our fossil fuels overseas, and more voters in the seat support a ban on new gas and coal projects than support allowing them to go ahead. The research comes as

The Australia Institute conducted polling research of a representative sample of 1,005 people across Australia about their views on Territory rights and voluntary assisted dying (VAD). The results show nationwide high support for VAD and for the Commonwealth allowing the Territory governments the right to legalise VAD in their jurisdictions, including majority support across all

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.