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

Politicians need to break promises. Our parliament and democracy would not function if they did not. [First published by the Australian Financial Review – read here] There is a commonly held view that governments are elected to deliver every single election policy, in every detail as outlined in the lead up to an election. But

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

TASMANIA’S Integrity Commission must become more transparent if it is to fulfil its purpose of exposing and tackling corruption. [Full article on The Mercury website]

The Palaszczuk Government risks a voter backlash as it breaks a clear election promise which ruled out subsidising the Adani coal project, according to a new report from The Australia Institute. First, the Queensland government is ultimately responsible for a $1bn subsidised loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Secondly, the Queensland government has

Rising inequality is, according to the lefties at the International Monetary Fund, a drag on economic growth. And low wages growth is, according to the lefties at the RBA, a drag on growth. And according to lefties like Theresa May fixing economic equality is “crucial” to the economy. [This article was first published by the

New research released today by the Australia Institute shows that a federal ICAC may not be effective in exposing or investigating corruption and misconduct unless it holds public hearings. Public hearings have a proven track record in anti-corruption investigations in Australia. Evidence from state based anti-corruption commissions show that the anti-corruption commission that holds regular

A high profile community campaign on fish farming has put economic and employment issues in the spotlight. New polling release today asked residents of Lyons about the industry’s performance on modernising in order to protect jobs into the future. “It is clear from these results that even those who back the industry believe that fish

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

If word processors were invented today they would no doubt be seen through the left-right prism. Like a dying star, the 18th century political binary of left and right produces far more heat as the end of its life approaches. Is a wind turbine really “left wing”? Is a grid scale battery “progressive”? [The article

The Australia Institute today released the results of the Fitzgerald Principles survey of parliamentarians’ principles of good governance. The survey, which asks parliamentarians a range of questions on acting with integrity, is based on principles outlined by the Hon Tony Fitzgerald AC QC, former judge and leader of the Fitzgerald Inquiry, in an article published

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

A new report has mapped current polling trends to predict the make-up of the Australian Senate over the next two terms of Parliament. The results show a likely outcome with an entrenched cross bench with an increased One Nation presence, a stable Greens block.  [Full report in PDF below] Between March and May 2017 The

The Australia Institute is surveying every federal MP and Senator on their values of accountability and integrity as momentum builds for a national anti-corruption body along the lines of the NSW ICAC. The Fitzgerald Principles survey asks parliamentarians a range of questions, including if they are ethically obliged to act always in the public interest,

Following pressure from Australian civil society organisations, Australia’s export credit agency, Efic, has shelved plans to lend Australian taxpayers’ money to the Boikarabelo coal project in Limpopo Province, South Africa. While Efic has not ruled out future funding of this project and other overseas coal mines, Senate Estimates were told last week that Efic does

If Donald Trump does renege on the US Paris climate commitments, it creates an opportunity for leadership from other countries, including Australia. A poll of 1420 Australians undertaken in March showed most believe domestic action would be only more important in the event of Donald Trump reneging on US climate action policies. “Trumps decision to

Ahead of an official visit by Vice President Mike Pence, Australia Institute polling of 1420 Australian residents* reveals that 60% feel Donald Trump becoming US President is a negative outcome for the world.  48% said Australia should be more independent from USA on military and security matters with only 15% of respondents supporting a closer

Today’s conviction of the former NSW Labor Minister Ian Macdonald for misconduct in public office shows the importance of establishing a federal corruption watchdog with teeth. “Macdonald could still be operating in state politics if NSW ICAC had not had the jurisdiction and powers to investigate his case,” Deputy Director of The Australia Institute Ebony

ReachTEL polling for The Australia Institute of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, has shown strong support for Labor’s renewable energy target and opposition to government backing of the Adani coal mine.   Polling of the marginal Queensland electorate showed very strong opposition to subsidies going to the Adani Carmichael mine project. [FULL RESULTS IN

As the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) considers a $1 billion concessional loan to foreign coal company Adani, a new report from The Australia Institute raises major concerns about the NAIF’s political independence, governance, resourcing and public transparency. Widespread media coverage during December that NAIF had ‘conditionally approved’ the $1 billion proposal was

New polling of Dawson, the seat held by George Christensen, conducted by ReachTEL, commissioned by The Australia Institute, shows support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party at level pegging with the LNP at 30% of the primary vote. Issue-based questions in the same poll revealed strong support in Dawson for an increase to the renewable

As the mining boom ends, the mining clean-up boom is beginning. New research from The Australia Institute released today shows that there is minimal information available to the public on how the clean-up is progressing. The report, Dark side of the boom: What we do and don’t know about mines, closures and rehabilitation in New

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

The travel rorts scandals make the Turnbull government look like it’s out of touch, but its plans to give $50 billion in company tax cuts over the next 10 years are about to prove it beyond doubt. First published in the AGE and Canberra Times – see here.  This time last year Prime Minister Turnbull

Is it any wonder that voters who don’t believe politicians’ travel expense claims are fair dinkum won’t believe their claims about the benefits of economic reform either? Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. —First published by the Australian Financial Review here— While much has been made of “the optics” of the government

National polling has shown perceptions of corruption rate highest amongst those intending to vote for independents or minor parties such as One Nation or the Nick Xenophon Team. The poll conducted by ReachTEL for The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 2,285 residents across the country. Question: Do you think there is corruption in

An open letter, published today, calls for an independent federal anti-corruption watchdog. Such a commission would be far reaching with the power to investigate potential corruption, which does not appear to be the remit of the agency to administer and oversee parliamentarian work expenses which was announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Friday. Prominent signatories