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

Make no mistake, some of our most important civil and political institutions are under sustained and deliberate attack. And as 2016 draws to a close, when it seems politics is more divided than ever, it’s even more important to protect and defend the bedrock institutions of our democracy. First published by The Canberra Times –

The notion of evidence-based policy in Australia is dead. While it’s been in poor health for some time, it was finally killed by the Coalition backbench last week and replaced with “gut instinct” and “the pub test”. First published by the Australian Financial Review – here When Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was recently quizzed

The Western Australian government’s state owned Forest Products Commission (FPC) is logging WA’s native forests at a financial loss to the state, as shown in a new report from The Australia Institute, titled Barking Up the Wrong Trees. “The people of Western Australia are losing jarrah and karri forests, and in the process making a

Australians don’t want their money funding infrastructure for coal and gas companies under the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), national polling released today reveals. The NAIF will spend $5 billion of public funds in Northern Australia on infrastructure that is unable to attract commercial financing, which could include subsidising the controversial Adani Carmichael

New research from The Australia Institute has revealed that Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, known as ‘Oljefondet’, has US$280 million invested in Ferrovial. After its takeover of Australian company Broadspectrum, Spanish company Ferrovial is now responsible for the biggest contract to run Australia’s offshore detention camps. The offshore detention camps are notorious for human rights abuses,

In the modern version of “the battle of ideas” political interests trump political ideology nearly every time. Take, for example, the alleged supporters of “small government” who have been strategically silent as the Australian resource industry pushed for a $100 billion, wholly government owned, nuclear waste dump in South Australia. First published by the Australian Financial Review

Gas industry funding and direct involvement in research committees of GISERA, the research body that conducts research on social and environmental impacts of CSG, is potentially compromising the scientific independence of CSIRO. The five main Queensland gas companies provide the lion’s share of funding to the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) – the Gas Industry Social

Does the Prime Minister think ACT energy policy is visionary or vapid?  First published in the Australian Financial Review – here Australian policy debate is like a drunken mob looking for a spilt pint to fight over. Even before South Australia’s lights came back on the culture warriors were out blaming wind turbines for causing

Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world for renewable energy R&D. Data from the International Energy Agency puts Australia on the podium just once since 1979.  Meanwhile, Australia has poured the vast bulk of our R&D dollars into fossil fuel. (See full medal tally below) “Australia has a long history of prioritising fossil

A new national poll of more than 10,000 Australians has shown the continued strong support for minor parties and independents in Senate voting intentions. The poll also measured opinion on the proposal to cut Newstart. 55% of respondents said the Senate should vote down the cut, just 32% said the Senate should pass the government

Statewide polling shows Tasmanians want the fast growing industry of intensive fish farming to be better monitored and regulated. New polling of 1,310 Tasmanians conducted by ReachTEL for The Australia Institute shows 70% support for establishing an independent watchdog on intensive fish farms and 61% support for an independent investigation into the impacts of the

A new centre for progressive organisations is opening in Canberra later this year. A joint initiative between The Australia Institute and Ethical Property Australia, the centre will provide work and meeting space for organisations working for a more socially just and environmentally responsible Australia. — Video — “Canberra is the home of our democracy, and

The Business Council of Australia and the Liberal party just lost a debate with Bill Shorten about the economy. Badly. The days where expensive suits and even more expensive modelling were enough to win a public debate about “what the economy needs” are over. The days where newspaper editors could shift votes are over. The days where governments can deliver unpopular

The Australia Institute has today released analysis on the likely fate and budget impact of key Turnbull Government policies. The table shows where common ground exists and reveals a number of policies which are unlikely to pass the new Senate. “Key opportunities exist for the Turnbull Government to work with, rather than against, the new