Australia should consider whether it wants a higher education and vocational training system more like that of Finland or more like the USA, according to a new report from The Australia Institute’s Nordic Policy Centre. The report, co-authored by Professor Andrew Scott, Emeritus Professor Tor Hundloe and Mr Shirley Jackson, shows Australian vocational training is

New research from The Australia Institute has found that two out of three voters want the State Government to make up the $517 million GST shortfall announced in the Federal Budget by increasing taxes on wealthier South Australians and property investors. The least popular way for the government to balance the books in its upcoming

New income distributional analysis from The Australia Institute senior economist Matt Grudnoff shows the Morrison Government’s proposed Stage 3(a) income tax cuts announced in the 2019-20 Federal Budget, to come into effect 2024-25, will overwhelmingly benefit high-income earners with over 50% of the benefit going to the top 20% of taxpayers, while the bottom half

The Liberal Party is losing grip on their ‘better economic manager’ brand recognition with young voters (18-34 year olds) overwhelmingly rating the Labor Party as the better economic manager in Government. Key Findings: o   Young people rated the Labor Party better economic managers in government than the Coalition. 44% aged 18-24 rated the Labor

Almost four in ten voters think that a re-elected Coalition Government would try to cut company tax for big business, even after being explicitly told the Coalition Government had announced they would no longer pursue big business company tax cuts. Respondents were told that last year then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that the Coalition Government

Out-of-pocket health costs have skyrocketed compared with all other prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index, shows new analysis by The Australia Institute. The analysis using ABS data shows that health costs have more than doubled the rise in CPI with a 24 per cent increase in health costs compared with 11 per cent

All five Tasmanian electorates are among the biggest losers of the Government’s income tax cut plan, inner-city electorates in Sydney and Melbourne are the biggest winners, and South Australia and Central & North Queensland get at least 30% per capita less than electorates in Sydney and Melbourne. The analysis by the Canberra-based think-tank’s senior economist

New research from The Australia Institute, released just weeks out from the Federal Election, shows that a majority of South Australian voters want the government to mobilise all of society, “like they mobilised everyone during the world wars”, to tackle global warming. The state-wide polling also found that a majority of South Australians support a

New Australia Institute modelling shows that at least $77 billion of the lost revenue from the Morrison Government’s top-end tax cut plan will benefit those earning more than $180,000, and $64 billion of that figure will go to those who earn over $200,000. The Government has claimed that the difference between its tax cut plan

The much-hyped ‘North/South divide’ on climate action is a political misconception, according to new research from The Australia Institute. The research shows that the majority of Australian voters across states and poltical allegiance are concerned by climate change, and want the Government to mobilise on the issue, “like they mobilised everyone during the world wars”. Key

New analysis from the Australia Institute shows the gender distribution from the Government’s plan, announced in the Federal Budget, to flatten the income tax scales is skewed against women. When the tax cut is fully implemented, for every dollar of benefit that goes to women, two dollars goes to men. Figure 1. Gender Distribution of

Australia Institute research shows that the Marshall Government should heed the call of the South Australian Council of Social Services and delay the introduction of their tax cut for property investors. “With the state facing a growing revenue shortfall, which puts the funding of public services like health and education under strain, the tax cut

New research from The Australia Institute shows by 2024-25 when the income tax cuts are fully implemented, the benefits will overwhelmingly go to high-income earners. The Australia Institute has today issued a report modelling the distributionary effect of the accelerated income tax cuts, which reveals 54% of the tax cut benefits goes to the top

New polling from The Australia Institute shows South Australians overwhelmingly think increasing funding for public services is a far more effective policy for encouraging jobs and economic growth than the SA Government’s land tax cut for property investors. The government’s cuts to land tax, which take effect in 2020, will increase the tax-free threshold while

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,536 Australians about government support to assist farmers to harvest solar energy and sell it directly to clients. Key Findings: Respondents were asked if they support allowing farmers who generate wind or solar power on their farms to sell it directly to other landholders. ·  Overwhelming

After decades of uninterrupted economic growth, how is it that we all still feel so poor? It’s the question that leading Australian economist, Dr Richard Denniss, gets to the heart of in his newest book Dead Right: How neoliberalism ate itself and what comes next. In a national book tour, starting next week, Denniss will

A new paper published by The Australia Institute explores the lessons Australia could learn from Nordic countries such as Norway in providing leadership for revenue raising options in Australia. The paper is the first piece of research released by the newly established Nordic Policy Centre at The Australia Institute in partnership with Deakin University. “The repeated claims

The Federal Government is preparing to spend vast amounts of taxpayer funds on fossil fuel project overseas to generate business for increased fossil fuel exports out of Australia, new analysis by The Australia Institute warns. Key Points A new bill to Parliament that would expand funding and powers for Efic, Australia’s export finance agency, turning

New analysis from the Australia Institute shows a small minority of individuals are spending big on tax accountants to take advantage of unfair tax loopholes, such that individuals with a gross income over $1 million can pay zero tax. Key Findings: Those with both a gross and taxable income over $1 million spent on average $7,476 on

A full page advertisement published today by The Australia Institute promotes new research showing the forgone revenue spent refunding excess franking credits to wealthy shareholders could be used to create jobs and fund services to the community instead.  The foregone revenue on cashing out excess franking credits could purchase: 50 new primary schools, 50 new

The NSW Government’s strategy to manage irrigators’ use of floodwaters has been slammed in a joint submission by researchers, irrigators, graziers and a Darling River community group. The diverse groups called on the NSW Government to withdraw its draft strategy as it fails to address the problem of massive volumes of water being diverted into

Prime Minister Scott Morrison claims that the pace of job creation under the Coalition Government – 1.1 million net new jobs in 5 years – is an achievement, however, the actual amount of new work added in the economy has not even kept up with population growth.

New research from The Australia Institute estimates the cost of online harassment and cyberhate to have cost Australians an estimated total of $3.7 billion dollars in health costs and lost income. Key findings: More than one in three of all internet users have experienced some form of online harassment or abuse. The most common were

The wasteful structure of private competition in the electricity sector is costing every Australian household over $200 per year, according to new research from The Australia Institute. As heatwaves across Australia heighten concern for high electricity prices as households try and stay cool, new research shows the problem in electricity pricing is structural and the

New analysis from The Australia Institute has found that nearly one in five Liberal voters in Boothby are now less likely to vote for the party after Malcolm Turnbull was dumped as Prime Minister. Furthermore, the majority of Boothby voters support increased spending on health and education over tax cuts and register overwhelming support for

A majority of Australians (63%) think our society has become more unequal over the last ten years while even more (79%) believe that governments should be doing more to reduce inequality. The new survey data has been released along with a landmark report from Australia21 and The Australia Institute, outlining a path to a more

Collective bargaining in private sector workplaces could be almost extinct by 2030 under current rules, new research from the Centre for Future Work shows.

For the third consecutive quarter, the share of Australian GDP paid out in wages, salaries and superannuation contributions to workers has shrunk.  Data for the September quarter of 2018, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, shows that labour compensation accounted for just 46.85% of total economic output – one of the lowest on record.

New analysis from The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program has revealed that the bulk of Australians believe that the Government under Abbott made the wrong decision in scrapping the price on pollution and 63% of people want to see the policy reinstated. “This analysis shows that, despite 2013 supposedly being a referendum on carbon

The 10th annual ‘Go Home On Time Day’ report by The Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work estimates that Australian employees will work 3.2 billion hours of unpaid overtime for their employers this year, worth an estimated $106 billion in foregone wages.