September 2025
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
ACT should not copy unfair and undemocratic electoral changes – submission
The ACT would be wrong to copy new election finance rules which have been proposed federally and in South Australia, according to a submission to a Parliamentary Inquiry into last year’s territory election.
No right to know?
The government’s proposed changes to freedom of information laws represent a “serious attack” on Australia’s democracy, according to former Senator Rex Patrick.
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?
Productivity crisis? Australia’s “lazy” oligopolies could step up
For all the talk about what government should do about productivity, Australia’s biggest corporations remain inefficient and unwilling to invest.
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.
Will AI kill traditional media?
With large language models threatening to swamp Australia’s traditional media, a little bit of government funding could go a long way to protect public interest journalism.
Proposed changes to Freedom Of Information scheme don’t add up
New Australia Institute research reveals that the failures in Australia’s freedom of information (FOI) scheme lie with the government, not with applicants. The government’s proposal to limit FOI requests by charging fees instead of fixing the broken system misdiagnoses the problem.
Gas leak cover-up shows Australian governments are captured by the gas industry
It‘s been revealed that Santos’ Darwin LNG gas export terminal has been leaking large amounts of climate-destroying methane gas for 20 years – and gas companies and governments have failed to act. This confirms The Australia Institute’s long-held concern that methane emissions are grossly underestimated and Australia’s regulators have been captured by the gas industry. The reporting
‘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
Expensive, publicly-funded Carbon Capture & Storage is barely visible in new emissions data
Buried deep in Australia new emissions data release is this nugget, in the ‘revisions’ section: “Fugitive sector emissions decreased 2.2% over the year to March 2025, mainly driven by reductions in natural gas venting emissions from new carbon capture and storage activities and a decline in production across both surface and underground coal mining. Estimates
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.
A six-figure head start. How Australia’s political system is stacked in favour of incumbents – and getting worse.
New research by The Australia Institute has found that federal MPs and Senators are entitled to over $3 million in pay, resources and perks over a three-year election cycle.
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
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
EXPLAINER: What are personal staff, and why do they have Clive Palmer contemplating another political campaign?
Clive Palmer, the billionaire coal miner who funded the Palmer United Party, United Australia Party and Trumpet of Patriots, is considering another political run.
How political pragmatism is killing us with Richard Denniss
The search for the “sensible centre” in Australia politics is pointless and flies in the face of evidence, says Richard Denniss.
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.
Paid to pollute – new analysis reveals how big polluters are making a mockery of Australia’s key climate policy
New analysis by The Australia Institute reveals how the nation’s biggest polluters are making a mockery of Australia’s key climate policy, the safeguard mechanism.
The Safeguard Mechanism’s pro-fossil flaws – explained
Governments work hard to ensure that Australian climate policy seems effective to media and voters, while simultaneously ensuring it does nothing to limit the key thing that is wrecking the climate – fossil fuel expansion.
Woodside’s Science Week sponsorship risks undermining WA Museum’s scientific integrity
The Western Australian Museum’s decision to allow Woodside Energy’s sponsorship of Science Week risks undermining the museum’s scientific integrity.
Underfunded, toothless and lacking transparency – time for a new era of integrity in Tasmania
As Tasmania’s newly elected politicians jostle to form government, new analysis from The Australia Institute shows that a deal to address integrity would be popular among election-weary voters.
Will Trump run again?
“Probably not…”
The problem with productivity
We discuss the proposals around corporate tax and artificial intelligence ahead of the government’s productivity roundtable.
Australians march for Palestine as Trump shoots the messenger
On this special crossover episode of Follow the Money and After America, Dr Emma Shortis joins Glenn Connley to discuss the Australian protests calling for more action to protect Palestinians, the momentum against the troubled AUKUS submarine pact, and Trump’s decision to fire his chief of labour statistics after job growth slowed. This discussion was
Australians march for Palestine as Trump shoots the messenger
From Gaza to AUKUS, pressure for change is building on Australian foreign policy.
Landslide Labor win out of proportion to primary vote
Labor won nearly two-thirds of all the seats in the House of Representatives with just over a third of first preferences.
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