Opinions
You know what’s more idiotic than a photo op? Walking blindly into the AUKUS pact
There was a lot of hysteria over the symbolism of former premier Daniel Andrews’ photo op with assorted dictators at a Chinese WWII military ceremony, but precious little discussion or analysis of the so-called threats to Australia’s security.
Bell’s departure is overdue, but this crisis is not all her fault. Here’s why
Genevieve Bell, vice-chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), has announced her resignation. Many will welcome this news.
Yes, Minister. The secret haggling behind the destruction of an ancient treasure.
It tells you a lot about who wields power in Australia that Woodside is being allowed to haggle in secret over the conditions of the North West Shelf expansion
Koala sanctuary may come with diabolical trade off
Environmentalists rejoiced on the weekend when the NSW Government announced it planned to incorporate 176 thousand hectares of forest into the long-proposed Great Koala National Park.
As fascism rears its ugly head, we are trapped between the craven and the unwilling
Let’s take a bit of a look at responsibility shall we?
Imagine if a business or federal department acted like this. Here’s why unis get away it
The leaders of Australian universities are enjoying the best of both worlds when it comes to the way they are regulated, but students are getting the worst.
If the Productivity Commission was serious about productivity, it would not target EVs
The Productivity Commission’s ideological slip is showing, and as a result, the advice it is giving the government is as confused as it is unproductive.
‘Perfect storm’: Government’s lies and half-truths burn through our precious trust
Northern Ireland political philosopher Onora O’Neill gave a series of lectures on “trust” in 2002, where she observed it is one of the most important social constructs we can hold:
August 2025
Chasing a chimera: The political dream of AUKUS that consumes reality
For the sake of taxpayers, let’s hope that the Audit Office is inspecting the AUKUS books closely. Australian money is flushing into the US submarine construction system – a billion US dollars so far, with another billion by year’s end. What will Australia have to show for it? Nothing. Except, of course, for a lot of international
Who’s going to stand up and make Nazis ashamed again?
A “March for Australia” rally sounds benign, but people who plan to attend the “March for Australia” rallies around the country on Sunday will almost certainly be marching alongside white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
Is population growth driving the housing crisis? Here’s the reality
Population growth is in the news again. The usual suspects are trying to whip up a scare campaign about immigration. So, let’s look at the actual numbers and put them into context.
Coalition’s Iran fail the latest proof of its intellectual malaise
This shouldn’t be new information to anyone who has been paying attention, but it is now undeniable. The Coalition is a fringe party, and should be treated as such.
Australia’s capital class remains too focused on profit to truly address productivity
A key problem with the economic roundtable is many of those hauled in to fix Australia’s productivity black hole have spent the past 25 years gunning for more privatisation.
Economic round table recycles broken ideas
A genuine debate about how to boost Australia’s productivity should bring in a wide range of groups to talk about a wide range of options, but, alas, that’s not what happened in Canberra last week.
The dangers of centrism in a time of crisis
In the fight against slavery, abolitionists eventually prevailed over slave owners. The long fight was not won in the sensible centre, but by “radical, democratic” absolutists who risked their lives in the fight to save the lives of others. It scares me to think how the ABC, or indeed most of the world’s media, would
Roundtable was a rare chance for reform. Instead we got small ideas
The three-day economic roundtable is over. After all the colour and movement, what did we get?
‘Back on track’? Why that’s the wrong question on Israel
“Prime Minister, how do you get the relationship with Israel back on track from here?”
Is Anthony Albanese’s reform agenda bold enough for Australia?
Labor has never been in a better position to implement its national policy platform.
Want to lift workers’ productivity? Let’s start with their bosses
Business representatives sit down today with government and others to talk about productivity. Who, according to those business representatives, will need to change the way they do things?
Tasmanians are still in the dark about what is being done to prevent the Maugean skate’s extinction
Latest decision on salmon farming almost certain to be catastrophic for endangered species, writes Eloise Carr
Gripped by an ‘Abundance fever’ that makes us see only red
Canberra is in the grip of Abundance fever, a virus that threatens to overwhelm public policy with a diagnosis of overregulation. For those afflicted, the treatment is to maintain the status quo, but with the sheen of progressivism. The Abundance agenda is being presented as a panacea for all of America’s problems, and therefore also Australia’s problems. It’s shaping
Ley’s need to appease the far-right drags the Coalition into the political abyss
After months of reflection, recriminations and resolute commitments to change, we finally have the first concrete policy position for a government Sussan Ley would lead.
Delayed RBA cut is welcome, but borrowers are still lagging
The RBA has cut interest rates – five weeks too late.
Why business is worried about the productivity roundtable
US professor and activist Noam Chomsky used to always advise people who wanted to know the truth to read the business press, because their readers needed to know what was really going on.
Give free rein to our worst instincts and we all risk sinking
Most children with Eastern European relatives will learn this lesson young; a scorpion wants to cross a river but it can not swim. It sees a frog about to get into the river and pleads with it for a ride.
The Productivity Commission is floating AI copyright exemptions – with worrying implications for Australian authors and publishers
In an interim report released overnight, Harnessing data and digital technology, the Productivity Commission has floated a text and data mining exception for the Australian Copyright Act. This would make it legal to train artificial intelligence large language models, such as ChatGPT, on copyrighted Australian work. AI training would be added to the list of
The big reform that could make our childcare system cheaper and safer
There is a sickness at the centre of Australia’s childcare system. The profit motive.
‘Right moment’? Australia risks losing power and respect on Gaza
There used to be a myth that News Corp could make or break governments.
Climate target malpractice. Cooking the books and cooking the planet.
As the Albanese government prepares to announce Australia’s 2035 climate target, pressure is mounting to show greater ambition.
This carbon policy has been a spectacular failure. Let’s put this zombie in the ground for good
Like a reanimated corpse from The Walking Dead, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the boondoggle “technology” that just wont die. As a way for governments to piss public money up the wall, CCS is incredibly effective. On almost every other front, it’s a spectacular failure.
General Enquiries
Emily Bird Office Manager
mail@australiainstitute.org.au
Media Enquiries
Glenn Connley Senior Media Advisor
glenn.connley@australiainstitute.org.au