The retirement savings of millions of Australians could be boosted by up to $100,000 if the Government adopts the Cooper Review’s MySuper proposal, according to an analysis by The Australia Institute.

The market power enjoyed by Australia’s big four banks is allowing them to increase profits when official interest rates rise. This is the case even when banks pass on only the official rate rise to their mortgage customers.

Australia’s banks are exploiting official interest rate rises to gouge ever increasing profits from customers, according to The Australia Institute. A new Institute study, A licence to print money: bank profits in Australia, reveals that since deregulation in 1983 banks have increased their share of the lending market from 50 to 90 per cent. In

Low income households already bearing the brunt of Telstra’s market power would be worse off if price caps were removed, according to The Australia Institute’s submission to an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s review. The ACCC is considering whether competition in telecommunications is sufficient to grant Telstra’s call for price controls to be dropped. The

Greater transparency and public engagement about the potential opportunities and risks presented by nanotechnology is required, according to a new report by The Australia Institute. While still an emerging field, nanoscale sciences and technologies (nanoST) are already present in our daily lives, with more than 1000 consumer products identified as containing nanomaterials.

Australian workers are ‘donating’ more than their annual leave entitlement back to their employers in the form of unpaid overtime, a new survey by The Australia Institute has found.

The slight jump in the official unemployment rate to 5.8 per cent is just the tip of the iceberg, with the true figure likely to be around 12 per cent when the ‘hidden unemployed’ are taken into account.

Australian households are throwing out $5.2 billion worth of food each year, which exceeds the amount they spend on digital equipment such as flat screen TVs, according to new research by The Australia Institute. “To put this into context, the $5.2 billion worth of food that Australians throw out each year is enough money to

Each year, Australians work more than two billion hours of unpaid overtime, a new survey by The Australia Institute has found. Around half of all employees work more hours than they are paid for and international comparisons show that Australians work the longest hours in the developed world. In recognition of the extent of unpaid

Despite Australia avoiding a recession, thanks largely to the Government’s stimulus packages, there remains a real risk of entrenching an underclass of unemployed.

In August, women’s unemployment increased by 0.2 percentage points while men’s fell by 0.2 percentage points. The female underutilisation rate increased by 1.0 percentage points to 15.5 per cent while men’s actually fell 0.6 percentage points to 11.9 per cent

Women account for up to 80 percent of Australia’s hidden unemployed, new research into the current economic downturn by The Australia Institute reveals. The report finds that not only are child-care responsibilities the most common reason why women struggle to rejoin the workforce, but those same responsibilities are a major reason that women are excluded

The Rudd Government is at odds with a majority of Australians in prioritising the needs of business in its climate-change policy, according to a new paper by The Australia Institute.

Discusses how the July 2009 tax cuts are highly skewed towards the rich. High-income earners get $41 per week and low-income earners get nothing at all.

The national survey of 2000 adults found that the notion of paying blood donors does not have widespread community support. Seventy-one per cent (71%) of respondents did not think that donors should be paid for their time when they donate blood.

The underestimated revenue in the years from 2003-04 to 2008-09 is now running at $83.4 billion. Around half of that has been returned as tax cuts which disproportionately help people earning double or more than average weekly earnings (AWE). The research reveals that as a result of the past and proposed income tax cuts a

The nation’s big four banks are reaping profits amounting to three cents in every dollar spent in Australia. Westpac’s announcement today that its half year profit was $2,175 million brings the total half year profit reported by the big four, Westpac, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank, to $8,269 million, or 1.5 per cent

Australia could introduce a paid parental leave scheme that pays for itself, creates nearly 9,000 new jobs and boosts the economy. The flow-on effect of paid parental leave on women’s participation in the labour market is likely to generate additional GDP of at least $2.5 billion and additional Government revenue of $625 million. This means

An analysis of new Australian Bureau of Statistics data by The Australia Institute reveals that in September 2008 there were 780,900 people who did not have a job, wanted to work but were not included in the unemployment figures. Taking account of these ‘hidden unemployed’ brings Australia’s real rate of unemployment to 11.7 per cent,

The number of Australians out of a job is significantly more than widely reported. An analysis of new Australian Bureau of Statistics data by The Australia Institute reveals that in September 2008 there were 780,900 people who did not have a job, wanted to work but were not included in the unemployment figures. Taking account

The announcement of a $42 billion stimulus package, which provides thousands of dollars to families earning up to $200,000 and almost nothing to the long-term unemployed, is evidence that the Rudd Government like the Howard Government before it is distinguishing between ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ recipients of government assistance.

The Choice of Fund Policy has failed to resolve widespread consumer disengagement with superannuation. As few as four per cent of workers switch super funds each year and around half of this is ‘passive’ choice due to job change or fund closure. Choice of Fund has also been largely unsuccessful in lowering the number of

The introduction of an Australian emissions trading scheme in 2010 makes it pointless for households to reduce their energy use.

The Rudd Government hopes to incorporate agriculture into its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in 2015 but this initiative is unlikely to be successful.

High-income earners in Australia have enjoyed significant growth in their incomes over the past decade but the tax system has not kept pace.

Calls for the introduction of accelerated depreciation provisions for investment in clean energy. Because the price of this equipment is likely to fall sharply in the coming years, firms which invest today will experience ‘first mover disadvantage’.

The electricity industry generates around 45 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions so it is surprising to see so little R&D in this industry. The electricity industry should be at the forefront of exploring lower emissions and renewable technologies, but the figures suggest the industry is not serious about doing so.

Calls for the introduction of accelerated depreciation provisions for investment in clean energy. Because the price of this equipment is likely to fall sharply in the coming years, firms which invest today will experience ‘first mover disadvantage’.

While 56 per cent of Australians living in households with incomes of less than $40,000 per cent per year were willing to pay higher taxes to fund an increase in the aged pension, only 34 per cent of those with household incomes above $150,000 agreed.