Opinions
April 2024
Whether you tune in or not, journalism’s a public good that benefits us all
For three years, Meta and Google have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Australian publishers in exchange for using news content.
Who will Trump pick as his running mate? In 2024, the ‘Veepstakes’ are higher than usual
Being second in line for leadership of the most powerful country in the world is not an easy job.
March 2024
Why the Carbon Myth Industry is bad for farmers
Jigsaw Farms, long held up as a shining star of carbon neutral farming, is no longer carbon neutral, although only just.
The Coalition’s nuclear power crusade is a futile distraction
Nuclear energy really is remarkable.
Who Pays the Piper…Universities Dance to the AUKUS Tune
When AUKUS was announced, the ANU was quick off the mark to cash in.
Fire extinguishers, not guns
The Australian Government should be using its unique position to leverage our close relationship with the United States over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, writes Dr Emma Shortis.
The academic publishing rort
As much as $1 billion in taxpayer funding may be being funnelled into the pockets of for-profit academic publishers every year, writes Dr Kristen Scicluna.
It’s a good thing if Trump doesn’t like us
Instead of worrying about whether Trump hates us, we should be thinking, together, about how to forge a world which remains free of his demagoguery, writes Dr Emma Shortis.
Tasmania’s fear of government debt is hurting the state
Tasmanians have been badly served by its government’s exaggerated fears about the condition of the state budget.
Fixing the work and care crisis means tackling insecure and unpredictable work
The Fair Work Commission is examining how to reduce insecurity and unpredictability in part-time and casual work to help employees better balance work and care. The Commission is reviewing modern awards that set out terms and conditions of employment for many working Australians to consider how workplace relations settings in awards impact on work and
Housing affordability is so bad that 2020 (!) now looks good
House prices after a brief fall in 2022 rose consistently during 2023 and housing affordability is now as bad as ever
Stop the surge to big utes
This article originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph, in response to a column that critiqued the call for small cars on our road. You can read the original column via the link below.
On International Women’s Day: How the Fair Work Commission Can Really Take On the Gender Pay Gap
On occasion of International Women’s Day, the Centre for Future Work’s Senior Researcher Lisa Heap reviews the opportunities to use recent industrial relations reforms to more ambitiously address Australia’s gender pay gap.
The RBA gets its wish as Australia’s economy slows dramatically
As interest rates have climbed, Australia’s economy has slowed – let us hope the RBA has not stalled it.
Pork Barelling is Not Democracy
Politicians Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie dressed up as pigs this week in a memorable stunt in Parliament to draw attention to excessive supermarket profits.
February 2024
The gas industry is laughing at us as they make more money but not more tax
Despite soaring production and revenues the gas industry is not paying more tax
The changes to Stage 3 show that good policy is good politics
The changes to the Stage 3 tax cuts have passed the Senate and will become law.
Funny business: Why you’re paying the price for corporate greed
Australians are paying prices that are too high, too often.
The big error at heart of ‘right to disconnect’ opposition
This week, Parliament is set to approve a new set of industrial relations reforms, bundled in the second part of the “Closing Loopholes” bill.
Valentine’s Day, Indonesia style
Wednesday 14 February is a big day in Indonesia. The nation goes to the polls, and a new President will be elected. A popular and successful President will be succeeded by one of three candidates, none of whom is especially popular or generates much enthusiasm among voters.
More loopholes to close on insecure work … and a new right to disconnect from work
Late yesterday the final part 2 of the government’s Closing Loopholes industrial relations bill was passed by the Senate.
“Right to Disconnect” Essential as Devices Intrude Into Workers’ Lives
Australia’s Parliament is set to pass a new set of reforms to the Fair Work Act and other labour laws, that would enshrine certain protections for workers against being contacted or ordered to perform work outside of normal working hours. This “Right to Disconnect” is an important step in limiting the steady encroachment of work
Stage 3 Tax Changes: A Win for Australians & Sensible Policy
Politicians are often accused of backflipping when they change their minds.
January 2024
Richard Denniss: National Press Club Address
On Wednesday, 31 January 2024, Richard Denniss and Allegra Spender MP addressed the National Press Club for a debate on the Stage 3 tax reforms. **Check against delivery** [See below for transcripts] Tax is good. Tax is an investment in our society and the highest taxed countries in the world also happen to be the
We Cannot Truly Value ‘Care’ Until Workers Using Digital Labour Platforms Get Fair Pay and Conditions
Unless minimum employment standards for care and support workers using digital labour platforms are guaranteed, decades of slow progress towards proper recognition of care work and equal pay for women could be undone.
Where is the middle income in Australia? Not where you think it is.
Australians right across the country are calling out for cost-of-living relief, but the government doesn’t want to risk any measures that will increase inflation—keeping interest rates higher for longer, or worse, pushing them up even further.
If Trump comes back, do we want him as our ally?
“Who in God’s name does he think he is?”
Closing the loopholes in labour hire
The industrial reforms system needs important repairs, writes Dr Fiona Macdonald – no more, no less.
Weapons of mass obstruction hurt democracy
Be it administrative incompetence, secrecy and trickery, the failure of the Morrison government to hand over Cabinet documents about the Iraq War to the National Archives should trigger serious analysis of how Australia enters conflicts, writes Ebony Bennett.
If Trump returns to the White House, should we rethink the US alliance?
With a Trump resurgence looming, the Australian Government’s fixation on AUKUS should not come at the expense of what we are frequently assured is one of the core components of the US-Australia alliance: shared democratic values, writes Dr Emma Shortis.
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