Open letter calls for more tax, not less in order to address inequality and ensure ongoing prosperity as Australia Institute research shows Australia ranks 8th lowest of 35 OECD members in tax to GDP. The open letter is signed by prominent economists and public figures including former PM&C Secretary Dr Michael Keating, Nobel laureate Peter

Twenty of Australia’s top scientists are calling to permanently ban fracking in the Northern Territory because of its impact on climate change. The joint statement, written in response to the Final Report of the NT Fracking Inquiry, commends the Inquiry’s findings that the increase of greenhouse gases that would result from fracking is “unacceptable” and again

Over summer there were 16 major breakdowns at Victoria’s three brown coal plants, Loy Yang A, Loy Yang B and Yallourn. All of these breakdowns saw hundreds of megawatts of capacity withdrawn from the grid almost instantly. This made Victoria the standout state for power plant breakdowns. Between the 15th and 21st of January, at

Research from The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program has found the Liddell power station to be a major contributor to the unreliability of the NSW grid. 53 breakdowns & failures of gas and coal generation have been tracked by the Climate & Energy Program’s Gas and Coal Watch between December 2017 and March 2018.

Since the Coalition’s 2014 decision to cut foreign aid funding by $1.4 billion per year, Australia’s foreign aid record has not improved, with the 2017-18 Budget representing new lows for aid funding, a new report from policy think tank The Australia Institute finds. The reports suggest that Australia’s aid spending, already at record lows, could

Polling of the electorate of Solomon released today by the Australia Institute shows a majority support keeping the NT fracking moratorium in place. Results: 53% total support for keeping in place the fracking moratorium, to 38% opposed. 58% do not trust the NT and the gas companies to implement and enforce all recommendations from the

Emissions have increased now for three years in a row, since the repeal of the carbon price. Energy emissions are now at record highs, as revealed by the National Energy Emissions Audit. National polling released today by the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy program shows only 25% of Australians believe the country is on track

Wentworth poll shows just 27.3% support for cutting rate on profits of large companies. Poll of Brisbane shows low support for cuts to taxes and services. Polling released today by The Australia Institute of Malcolm Turnbull’s affluent federal seat shows about the same number of voters want the company tax rate increased (26%) as want

Polling released today by The Australia Institute shows strong support for reviewing the environmental approval for the Adani mine in the Prime Minister’s seat, as well as the seat of Brisbane. On the evening of 5th March ReachTEL surveyed 676 voters in Wentworth and a 747 voters in the electorate of Brisbane, with a series

Federal Ministers and officials have helped Adani in attempts to secure funding from foreign governments – not once, but twice in 18 months. New documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), requested under FOI by the Australia Institute, show in 2017 Adani asked for a “letter of support” to be sent to

30 of Australia’s most respected scientists and energy experts have signed an open letter, published by the Australia Institute today, calling on the Northern Territory and Federal Governments not to allow fracking in the Territory to proceed under any circumstances. The Fracking Inquiry found that a single gas field that would increase Australia’s emissions by

New research released today by the Australia Institute shows that the perception of corruption in Australia will continue to rise while allegations of corruption are either not investigated or are investigated entirely behind closed doors. The report coincides with the release of the latest Transparency International Global Corruption Index which reveals Australia has again slid

New polling released today by The Australia Institute Tasmania shows that even Liberal voters in the state do not believe that company tax cuts will increase workers’ pay. The poll of 925 Tasmanians, conducted by ReachTEL for The Australia Institute, found only 10.8% believed that giving large companies a tax cut would increase workers’ pay,

Adani “may have been negligent” when it failed to disclose its CEO’s links to four earlier environmental offences, according to documents released under Freedom of Information.  [FOI brief in PDF below] Adani’s CEO in Australia, Mr Janakaraj, was an ‘executive officer’ of a Zambian mining company when it was charged with polluting a river and

A report released today by The Australia Institute Tasmania written by Dr Charles Livingstone from Monash University has found that The Farrell Group’s share of EGM revenue (47.8%) far exceeds that of the clubs that house many of the poker machines, with the Farrell family reaping fifty-four times more than that derived by clubs which

A TV advertisement which will begin airing nationally today features research from The Australia Institute into the government’s $65 billion dollar company tax cuts plan. Building on research showing a lack of evidence that company tax cuts promote either jobs or growth the advertisement identifies the likelihood that the gift to the corporate sector will

Legal advice obtained by The Australia Institute from law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler (ABL), reveals the government’s foreign donations bill may have a ‘very adverse’ impact on Australian businesses. One element of the laws would require the many businesses that engage in a modest level of expenditure expressing views on issues of public importance to

The Australia Institute’s submission to the NT fracking Inquiry has found that fully exploiting the Northern Territory’s shale gas resources could result in emissions equivalent to sixty times Australia’s total current annual emissions, equivalent to 130 new coal power plants operating for 40 years. The submission also finds that the inquiry failed to follow its

The National Integrity Committee, hosted by The Australia Institute, today welcomed the announcement by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten that a Labor government will legislate to establish a federal corruption watchdog. The committee welcomed Labor’s adoption of key elements of its Design Principles for a National Integrity Commission, including the ability to hold public hearings. Committee

New research from The Australia Institute shows that the number of constituents represented by each Federal MP has tripled since Federation and only 13% of Australians have ever spoken to their representative. [Full report – see PDF below] The report also shows that the increase in parliamentarians has not kept pace with Australia’s population, with

Transparency and accountability of politicians and the public service may be one of the sleeper issues of the upcoming state election.  A recent poll of 781 voters in Bass undertaken by ReachTEL on the night of January 16th for The Australia Institute found that 85% of respondents wanted more powers and resources available to Tasmania’s

The pressure on Federal politicians to establish a national corruption watchdog has reached fever pitch as the extraordinary public support in polls and open letters combines with a push from legal experts and anti-corruption campaigners. Today television advertisements will commence running across the country outlining the need for a national corruption watchdog – with teeth.

The Hon Stephen Charles AO QC, former judge and adviser to Baillieu government on IBAC design, has today launched a briefing paper with The Australia Institute outlining the flaws in the operation of Victoria’s corruption watchdog. The paper finds that: IBAC has significant flaws that mean it is not a suitable model, in its current

The Endeavour House Writer in Residence Program has announced its inaugural winner, historian Dr Naomi Parry. The Writer in Residence Program, supported by Endeavour House and The Australia Institute, provides an AUD $2500 per week stipend for two weeks, office space and accommodation for an Australian writer to work from The Level at Endeavour House

New research released today by the Australia Institute estimates the effects of rising perception of corruption in Australia since 2012 could have reduced Australia’s GDP by $72.3 billion, or 4%. [Full report – see PDF below] “Since 2012 Australia has slid from 7th to 13th on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), with index score

ReachTEL polling released today by The Australia Institute, asked voters in three blue-ribbon Liberal electorates about cutting the company tax rate. The poll comes as proponents of the cuts site the progress of deeply unpopular Republican tax plans as a reason for Australia to follow suit. The GOP tax plan has been widely repudiated by

3600 MW, or 14% of coal and gas generation failed during the February 2017 heatwave. Report calls for the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) to require “heat safe” back-up for coal and gas plants. New analysis released today by The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program shows that coal and gas failed to provide energy security

A new report, released today by The Australia Institute, questions using averages to represent flows in the Barwon-Darling and challenges the NSW Water Minister’s claims about how much water is going into maintain river health. Two massive flood years, 1950 and 1956 account for 21% of all of the water flows since 1944. These two

Australia has three quarters (76%) of the world’s “pub and club” poker machines. A new report [See full report in PDF below] from The Australia Institute Tasmania finds that Australia’s 187,000 pub and club poker machines represent 76% of the world’s poker machines outside of casinos and other dedicated venues. The report comes as the Tasmanian

The National Integrity Committee welcomes comments from Prime Minister on the establishment of a national anti-corruption body. Polling released today shows overwhelming and increasing support for a federal ICAC: 88% now support a federal ICAC, increasing from 80% in March 2017 and 65% in March 2016 More than four in five (85%) said a federal