Media Releases

June 2017

The Finkel Test

The Australia Institute has outlined the key challenges for the Finkel Review.  The objective of the Finkel Review is to provide a blueprint for national policy, legislative, governance and rule changes required to maintain the security, reliability, affordability and sustainability of the national electricity market. The objective of a policy instrument such as a LET

Common sense wins over coal – Australian taxpayer loan to South African coal mine on ice

Following pressure from Australian civil society organisations, Australia’s export credit agency, Efic, has shelved plans to lend Australian taxpayers’ money to the Boikarabelo coal project in Limpopo Province, South Africa. While Efic has not ruled out future funding of this project and other overseas coal mines, Senate Estimates were told last week that Efic does

LET could be breakthrough policy

A well designed Low Emissions Target (LET) could be the basis for the needed integration of climate and energy policy in Australia according to Canberra-based policy think tank The Australia Institute. “The key will be to ensure any scheme accelerates the transition away from coal and does not lock in support for fossil fuel generators,”

May 2017

African white elephant: Australian taxpayers could finance South African coal

African white elephant, a report released today by Jubilee Australia and The Australia Institute examines the proposal for Australia’s export credit agency to fund a coal mine in South Africa. The tax payer-backed Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, known as Efic, is considering a loan to develop the Boikarabelo coal project in Limpopo Province, South

Targeted: Review of limit on tax advice deductions

New analysis of tax data shows that limiting the deduction for managing tax affairs to $3,000 is likely to impact only very high income earners. The majority of Australians make no claim for managing their tax affairs, and even amongst those in the top 3% of income earners, most claims do not exceed the $3,000

Media release: Adani could get free coal costing Qld budget as much as $1.2 billion

Following media report that the Queensland Government and Adani are negotiating a discount on the royalties the company would pay to extract the state/s coal resources, The Australia Institute has calculated the potential cost of a ‘roylaty holiday’ to the taxpayer. The Courier Mail reported that the government and Adani working on this deal: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

NT fracking hope misguided: Economist points out high risks and low returns

The Australia Institute has made a submission to the Northern Territory’s inquiry into fracking and unconventional gas development. The Canberra-based research organisation finds that fracking would reduce energy security and could represent a net economic loss to the Territory. Energy security would be reduced because the NT already has plenty of conventional gas to cover

April 2017

Three years too long to wait for 5-minute solution

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has acknowledged the need for a key reform in the 5-minute settlement rule, but in the same statement said it does not plan to implement the rule change for 3 years. The ‘5-minute rule’ would help address price spikes and load shedding by changing market price periods. This would

Housing affordability crisis hits retired Australians

New research from The Australia Institute with YourLifeChoices, published in the Retirement Affordability Index 2017, shows the housing affordability crisis is not just an issue for younger Australians. Economic measures usually put all retired Australians into a single group. This analysis breaks down Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Household Expenditure Survey separately by: couples who

War on renewables has no effect on voters: poll

New polling shows that despite a concerted campaign from sectors of the federal government and coal and gas industries, public support remains very high for renewable energy, and for the strengthening of state and federal targets.  The poll, conducted by The Australia Institute through Research now, asked a representative sample of 1420 Australians about renewable

Open Letter calls for straightforward changes to fix ‘energy trilemma’

‘5-minute rule’ identified as key to immediate and responsible fix for peak-load issues. The Australia Institute has today published an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for three market reforms to address the ‘energy trilemma’: security, cost and emissions. The letter appears as a full-page advertisement in the Australian Financial Review. Prominent signatories of

March 2017

MacDonald conviction shows strength of NSW ICAC model for federal ICAC

Today’s conviction of the former NSW Labor Minister Ian Macdonald for misconduct in public office shows the importance of establishing a federal corruption watchdog with teeth. “Macdonald could still be operating in state politics if NSW ICAC had not had the jurisdiction and powers to investigate his case,” Deputy Director of The Australia Institute Ebony

$10m limit only excludes 1.4% of companies while large company tax cut would be worth $11 billion pa

The Australia Institute has calculated that denying tax cuts to those companies with revenue over $10 million would exclude only 1.4 percent of companies. Despite making up only 1.4% of companies, the $10 million+ group account for 78 percent of company tax collections and would therefore take the lion’s share of the benefit from the Coalitions original

Voters oppose company tax cuts, dole cuts: Poll

Polling of the marginal seat of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, shows strong opposition to two Coalition policies before the current parliamentary sitting – welfare cuts, and cutting the company tax rate. The survey, conducted by ReachTEL for Canberra-based think tank The Australia Institute, asked respondents if the government should cut, keep the

Coalition voters asked about energy policy, Adani subsidies

ReachTEL polling for The Australia Institute of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, has shown strong support for Labor’s renewable energy target and opposition to government backing of the Adani coal mine.   Polling of the marginal Queensland electorate showed very strong opposition to subsidies going to the Adani Carmichael mine project. [FULL RESULTS IN

Political pressure risks $5 billion infrastructure fund becoming a barrel of pork

As the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) considers a $1 billion concessional loan to foreign coal company Adani, a new report from The Australia Institute raises major concerns about the NAIF’s political independence, governance, resourcing and public transparency. Widespread media coverage during December that NAIF had ‘conditionally approved’ the $1 billion proposal was

February 2017

Dawson Polling: One Nation surge, support for RET, opposition to company tax cuts

New polling of Dawson, the seat held by George Christensen, conducted by ReachTEL, commissioned by The Australia Institute, shows support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party at level pegging with the LNP at 30% of the primary vote. Issue-based questions in the same poll revealed strong support in Dawson for an increase to the renewable

Australia and Indonesia – the OPEC of coal

The Australia Institute says Turnbull must discuss coal with Jokowi Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit Australia this weekend, as The Australia Institute releases new research on Indonesian energy policy. The Institute has called for coal, energy and climate to be on the agenda for talks with President Widodo. Australia and Indonesia are the world’s

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