New research released today by The Australia Institute shows that the vast majority of Australians prioritise production of food for Australian consumption, and support for family farms in the Murray Darling Basin. When respondents were asked to rank agriculture and water policy goals: Top water policy priorities for the Murray-Darling Basin include: Three quarters of

New research from The Australia Institute has shown that more than 27,000 jobs in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania would be put at risk if drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight is allowed to go ahead and a catastrophic spill occurs. New polling has also revealed that a majority of Australians, while hopeful

The AEMO Energy Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) released today confirms Australia Institute Gas & Coal Watch analysis that shows that Victoria’s dependence on brown coal and gas is a serious risk to the state’s energy supply this summer. Key points from AEMO Energy Statement of Opportunities: Based on operational experience, AEMO’s modelling assumed There is

New research shows Victorian coal power is responsible for around 13% of the National Electricity Market’s gas and coal capacity, but 32% of its gas and coal breakdowns. The Australia Institute’s Gas & Coal Watch initiative finds that Victoria is home to the most unreliable gas and coal power stations in the country, largely due

New research from The Australia Institute highlights four steps governments can take to improve the management of the Murray Darling Basin: Emergency water allocation to the dairy industry Develop policies to ensure diversity in Basin agriculture A federal Royal Commission or federal ICAC investigation Pause the Basin Plan The Institute’s proposal has been backed by

The much-hyped ‘North/South divide’ on climate action is a political misconception, according to new research from The Australia Institute. The research shows that the majority of Australian voters across states and poltical allegiance are concerned by climate change, and want the Government to mobilise on the issue, “like they mobilised everyone during the world wars”. Key

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of Australians in 2018 and in 2019 about their views towards issues surrounding the health and management of the Murray Darling Basin (MDB). Key Findings: A majority of Australians (55%) now consider the health of the Murray Darling Basin poor or very poor, up 18 percentage points

New legal advice, sought by The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program, suggests the Underwriting New Generation Investment Program is unconstitutional and lacks the legislative basis to proceed. Key points · Legal advice received from Fiona McLeod SC and Lindy Barrett on 15 February 2019 finds that Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor does not have constitutional authority

E&OE TRANSCRIPT – PRESS CONFERENCE 31 January 2019, Parliament House, 2.30PM Rod Campbell, Research Director, The Australia Institute Maryanne Slattery, Senior Water Researcher, The Australia Institute Rod Campbell: Three things are clear from the Royal Commission’s report today. The first is that we need more water in the Murray-Darling Basin. Our rivers need more water.

New analysis from The Australia Institute has shown that the different designs of various anti-corruption bodies at a State level yield significantly different results and has reinforced the need for a proposed Federal body to have adequate resourcing and powers. A panel of former judges that make up The Australia Institute’s National Integrity Committee have

South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland all miss out on company tax cuts with only 11% of beneficiaries headquartered in those three states, analysis of Department of Finance data and ATO statistics reveals. The Australia Institute has today released new analysis of a list compiled by the Department of Finance and distributed to crossbench senators outlining

The Victorian Government is attempting to pass a bill through the Legislative Council that will further weaken Victoria’s corruption watchdog IBAC. A briefing paper released today by the Australia Institute outlines the flaws in IBAC’s design and summarises the impact the bill will have on IBAC’s ability to hold public hearings. IBAC is one of

New analysis from the Australia Institute shows regional Victoria would receive below average benefits compared to the average Australian household from income tax cuts, outlined in the 2018 federal budget. The figures represent the change in household disposable income (after tax income) as a percentage of change in the national average. Modelling also took into

The Hon Stephen Charles AO QC, former judge and adviser to Baillieu government on IBAC design, has today launched a briefing paper with The Australia Institute outlining the flaws in the operation of Victoria’s corruption watchdog. The paper finds that: IBAC has significant flaws that mean it is not a suitable model, in its current

ReachTEL polling released today by The Australia Institute, asked voters in three blue-ribbon Liberal electorates about cutting the company tax rate. The poll comes as proponents of the cuts site the progress of deeply unpopular Republican tax plans as a reason for Australia to follow suit. The GOP tax plan has been widely repudiated by

New polling three key Liberal seats of Warringah, Wentworth and Kooyong on the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) policy shows voters overwhelming support pricing carbon, would be more likely to support a NEG that achieves 50% renewable energy, and do not think the NEG will lower electricity prices and back the States keeping their own renewable

New polling of seven electorates belonging to senior Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister, reveals strong opposition to a federal subsidised loan for Adani’s coal project, and support for instituting a moratorium on new coal mines. The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to conduct surveys of 4,712 Australian residents across the electorates of Wentworth (Turnbull), Cook

Polling has been released which shows that more than four in five voters in the federal electorate of Indi support Australia gradually transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030. “There is overwhelming support for renewable energy across the political spectrum in Indi. 85% of voters are in support of renewables, with only 9% against,” Strategist

The rapid rise of renewable energy technology has taken the world by surprise. Renewables have gotten cheaper faster than expected, while battery storage development is shaping up to radically change the way power our lives, from home, to work to the way we travel.    But this global phenomenon will play out locally, and in

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

A new report by The Australia Institute outlines a solution to the twin problems of incentives for retirement of coal fired generation and funding rehabilitation liabilities.  The report, Two Birds, One Little Black Rock, by Rod Campbell and Richard Denniss will be co-launched by The Australia Institute and Australian Greens Leader, Senator Richard Di Natale

The Guardian reported this morning International Monetary Fund calculations that world fossil fuel subsidies are running at $5.3 trillion dollars annually, or $10m per minute. In Australia, successive state and federal governments have given subsidies in the form of diesel fuel rebates, infrastructure funding and royalties discounts worth billions. TAI director of research, Rod Campbell,

Richard debated Stephen Galilee, the head of the NSW Minerals Council on 7.30 NSW regarding their recent attack on our research into mining subsidies. This material sheds light both on our approach to our research and the disingenuous approach taken by the NSW Minerals Council.

The Australian Institute says the Minerals Council members – the large, mostly foreign-owned, mining companies – should explain the attacks on The Australia Institute. The Minerals Council has claimed that The Australia Institute is being directed by a political party. This is untrue and defamatory. The Minerals Council should immediately desist from making such claims

Last week was another big week for The Australia Institute. You might have seen that we launched another major research report, Mining the Age of Entitlement, this time on the $17.6 billion worth of  taxpayer support that State governments have given the mining industry. You might have seen Ben Oquist’s name mentioned in relation to

Age of entitlement lives on: Report exposes billions in government handouts to mining State governments are providing billions of dollars in subsidies to the minerals and fossil fuel industries, a new report by The Australia Institute (TAI) has revealed. The report exposes the massive scale of state government assistance, totalling $17.6 billion over a six-year

MAKE no mistake, if a gas field is approved over the Surf Coast Shire it will industrialise the region. The economics of unconventional gas are pretty simple; once approval for a commercial gas field is granted, the company needs to extract as much gas as possible to maximise its return on investment. That typically means

Nearly one in two Australian adults cannot identify their State or Territory flag, according to new survey results released by The Australia Institute. The Australia Institute’s Deputy Director Josh Fear said the survey results add an extra dimension to the recent push by Former Australians of the Year to change the national flag. While 52