After years of decline, Australia’s manufacturing industry is finally recovering – adding almost 50,000 jobs in the last year, one of the best job-creation records of any sector in the whole economy. But that recovery could be cut short by growing shortages of skilled workers, according to a new report on vocational training in manufacturing.

New Australia Institute analysis of stage three of the government’s income tax plan show high-income earners will get 95% of the benefit, while three-quarters of taxpayers get no benefit at all. Today the Senate has rejected stage 3 of the government’s income tax plan, which removes the 37 per cent tax bracket completely, resulting in

The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to conduct a survey of 1,031 residents across the federal electorate of Mayo on the evening of 5 June 2018.  The poll included a question about funding for the ABC. The results are released today. Key results: 74% of respondents think funding for the ABC should be increased or stay the

On Monday 18 June, The Australia Institute, Australia21 and the former Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan MP, are jointly hosting a roundtable discussion in Parliament House on dealing with economic inequality in Australia. A new report from The Australia Institute, released as part of the Inequality Roundtable, shows inequality is getting worse in Australia with

New polling released by The Australia Institute today shows that a majority of voters support key recommendations put forward in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It has been one year since the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a declaration by the 2017 First Nations national Constitutional Convention. The Australia Institute surveyed 1417 Australians in

Budget proposes Australia’s progressive tax system be overhauled to put majority of workers on the same tax rate. [Report – see PDF below] The Australia Institute has issued a briefing paper which modelled the distributionary effects of the proposal, showing the benefits flow overwhelmingly to the highest income earners who get 62%, while just 7%

Reported moves to expanded the under-utilised Pension Loan Scheme (PLS) to allow pensioners access to the scheme would be a welcome budget breakthrough. “This is sensible economic reform which will allow those on the aged pension to effectively access some of the value of their home without having to sell it,” said Ben Oquist, Australia

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

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

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

With the House of Representatives set to commence debate on marriage equality, The Australia Institute and the National LGBTI Health Alliance have released preliminary* results of an a major survey into the stress impacts associated with the Australian marriage equality debate during the lead up to the postal survey results announcement. More than 9,500 LGBTIQ

Modelling by The Australia Institute has found any impact to the state budget from phasing out poker machines in pubs and clubs could be negated through increasing taxes on poker machines in casinos.  New polling released today shows strong support for phasing out poker machines in pubs and clubs in Tasmania, even among Liberal voters.

In the first poll since the Government announced a postal survey on marriage equality, residents in Tony Abbott’s electorate of Warringah were asked if they supported same sex marriage. 689 residents across the federal electorate of Warringah were asked if same sex couples should be able to get married; 69.7% of voters in Warringah agree

Cuts and curtailment of operations of the ABC are on the table as Turnbull Government negotiations with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation to pass controversial cross-media ownership laws. The Australia Institute has today published a full-page advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald alerting Australians to the imminent threat to national broadcaster and calling on Coalition and

New ReachTEL polling, released by The Australia Institute and Australian Marriage Equality, shows voters in seven key electorates not only support marriage equality but strongly support their MPs having a conscience vote on the issue. The electorates polled were Brisbane (Evans), Goldstein (Wilson), La Trobe (Wood), Leichhardt (Entsch), Mallee (Broad), North Sydney (Zimmerman) & Wentworth

New analysis shows that the socio-economic status of Canberra parents, not Canberra schools, explain the above average performance of ACT children in national testing. The Australia Institute released a report today that exposes the systemic failure of the ACT’s primary education system and offers recommendations on how to rejuvenate the sector. The Australia Institute report,

Report questions estimates of the impact on employment and revenue if Electronic Gaming Machines were phased out of Tasmania.  A new report from Hobart-based think tank The Australia Institute Tasmania has found that previous estimates of the impact of phasing out Poker machines on employment are inconsistent with recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.   

As the Federal Government’s proposed legislation to relax restrictions on who can own and operate newspapers, TV and radio stations in Australia, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has reportedly proposed that ABC funding should be cut as a condition of its support for the legislation. New polling released today shows a combined 74% of South

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

The Australia Institute published a new report today which examines the origins of Senator Pauline Hanson’s statements on Islam. The research reveals much of Hanson’s language is imported directly from far-right groups in the United States. The Australia Institute report examines, in detail, one of the One Nation party’s most striking claims – that Islam

New research from The Australia Institute has revealed that Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, known as ‘Oljefondet’, has US$280 million invested in Ferrovial. After its takeover of Australian company Broadspectrum, Spanish company Ferrovial is now responsible for the biggest contract to run Australia’s offshore detention camps. The offshore detention camps are notorious for human rights abuses,

New research released by the Australia Institute today shows that government moves to cut unemployment benefits will put recipients at 32% below the poverty line . The research also highlights staggering inequality in Australia where the 10 richest Australian families have the same wealth as the poorest 3.9 million Australians combined. “At the time of

New research from Canberra based think tank The Australia Institute has exposed a serious funding hole in the Government’s company tax cut modelling. “Our research has uncovered that the Treasury commissioned modelling finds a $3.9B gain in government revenue because multinationals suddenly and voluntarily begin to pay more tax because the company tax rate drops 5 percentage points.  It is

The Australia Institute has modelled the distribution of income tax cuts announced in the 2016 Budget. Using census data indexed to 2015, the modelling shows the percentage of income earners who would reap the full benefit of moving the second-top tax threshold cut-off from $80,000 to $87,000. “This tax cut is highly selective, with very

As the Turnbull Government prepares to deliver tax cuts for high income earners and highly profitable corporations, including large banks, the latest data shows those living on government assistance are slipping further below the poverty line.  Professor Ronald Henderson delivered a major report to the government in 1973, which established an absolute poverty line, often

Top economists and community leaders have signed an open letter calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to not to cut taxes at this time – especially not on company profits. The letter, published as a full-page newspaper advertisement, is signed by Former Reserve Bank Governor Bernie Fraser, ACTU National President Ged Kearney, Former WA Premier

New state-wide ReachTEL polling in South Australia and in the seats of New England and Indi on refugee policy shows most voters do not support the current policy to send all boat arrivals to Nauru and Manus Island. The polling also shows majority support for the resettlement in Australia of those assessed as refugees who

New polling of the electorate of Indi shows that independent Cathy McGowan holds a small lead over Liberal Sophie Mirabella.  The polling of 656 residents of Indi was conducted by ReachTEL in March 2016. (full results below) Cathy McGowan’s support tallied 37.3% of respondents, while Sophie Mirabella polled at 26.9%. Based on a similar preference

New Catalyst research, released for International Women’s Day, reveals the best and worst points of women’s participation in corporate Australia.  The report covers female participation on boards and in management as well as assessing policies to help women in the workplace.  While some companies in the ASX have real equality on their boards, overall the

As media reforms hit the national agenda, new polling commissioned by The Australia Institute shows a majority (58%) of Tasmanians support additional funding for the ABC to invest in more regional news services, while 22% oppose and 21% are undecided.   The poll of 1139 Tasmanians, conducted by ReachTEL on 12th January, shows that half