The Australia Institute’s submission to the Senate inquiry into the adequacy of Newstart has shown that, currently, the unemployment benefit is neither sufficient nor transitional, as the Government claims. The single rate of Newstart would need to be increased by more than $180 a week to reach the Henderson poverty line and the average length

The Australia Institute’s submission to the State Government’s review of the draft Land Tax (Miscellaneous) Amendments Bill 2019 supports the idea of aggregating land portfolios for taxation purposes but raises concerns about the lost revenue that will result from deep cuts to the state’s top rate of land tax. “The proposed changes to land tax

The Australia Institute has found that the Federal Government’s gas policy actually keeps prices high for Australian consumers and recommends a cap on LNG exports in its submission to the review of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism (ADGSM). The submission finds that the Government’s export gas trigger entrenches high gas prices by allowing LNG

Australia faces significant risks to national security, energy security and climate change mitigation, due to a heavy reliance on imported oil and access to only a limited amount of fuel at any one time, according to new analysis from the Australia Institute. The new research finds that Australia is unprepared to deal with any potential

The NSW Government’s strategy to manage irrigators’ use of floodwaters has been slammed in a joint submission by researchers, irrigators, graziers and a Darling River community group. The diverse groups called on the NSW Government to withdraw its draft strategy as it fails to address the problem of massive volumes of water being diverted into

The Government program to underwrite new generation investments presents a number of risks that could jeopardise rather than improve the reliability and affordability of electricity, with the key question around whether the Government even has the authority to do so. In a submission to the Department of Energy, The Australia Institute has questioned why the

A potent tool for cleaning up misconduct in the industry is being overlooked by the Royal Commission into financial services.

Trade unionists are gathering this week at the ACTU’s triennial Congress in Brisbane.  Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work, participated in a panel on the Future of Work (an apt title!) at the Congress.

The Australia Institute’s submission to the NT fracking Inquiry has found that fully exploiting the Northern Territory’s shale gas resources could result in emissions equivalent to sixty times Australia’s total current annual emissions, equivalent to 130 new coal power plants operating for 40 years. The submission also finds that the inquiry failed to follow its

The Australia Institute has made a submission to the Northern Territory’s inquiry into fracking and unconventional gas development. The Canberra-based research organisation finds that fracking would reduce energy security and could represent a net economic loss to the Territory. Energy security would be reduced because the NT already has plenty of conventional gas to cover

The Australia Institute has today publicly released its report on the economics of an international nuclear waste dump in South Australia.  — Press Conference and Public Forum details —  The report is in response to the tentative findings of South Australia’s nuclear royal commission, which claimed a net benefit of $51 billion to South Australia. 

Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) of government bill estimates only 88 Australian seafarer jobs will remain under the Department’s preferred option for policy change (table below). This represents a loss of 1,089 Australian seafarer jobs, or 93 per cent of the current workforce. A submission to the inquiry into Shipping Legislation Amendment Bill 2015 by The

The Australia Institute has submitted a report to the inquiry into nuclear power in South Australia has found major flaws in both economic and technological assumptions underpinning the pro-nuclear push. “Nuclear power is not a practical option for South Australia,” Chief Economist at The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss said. “There are some very strange assumptions

The NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure has censored parts of The Australia Institute’s submission on the Terminal 4 coal project. The Institute’s submission focuses on the economic assessment of the project and highlights a number of flaws in the economic modelling. Almost a page of text showing the relationship between an “independent” reviewer of

The New Acland coal mine is applying to expand its operations in one of Australia’s most productive agricultural regions, the Darling Downs.  The mine has been controversial since it began, in its impact on the agricultural economy, and in clearing out the town of Acland where now only one resident remains.  The New Acland Mine

The North Galilee Basin Rail project is not in the best economic or environmental interests of Queensland and should not be approved according to The Australia Institute’s submission to the Queensland Government today. It is inexcusable that a cost-benefit analysis has not been demanded by the Newman government before looking to approve the 300 kilometre

Media release Arrow’s own analysis of planned Gladstone LNG plant shows 1,600 jobs could be lost. A Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant proposed for Gladstone will have serious negative consequences, including large job losses, across the local and State economy, according to an analysis of the project’s own Economic Impact Assessment (EIA). Arrow Energy concedes

Eighty-one per cent (81%) of Australians believe that the idea of a banking super profits tax should be discussed at next year’s Tax Summit, according to a new opinion poll conducted by The Australia Institute.

The Government’s announcement of its much anticipated banking reform package is only a small step on the long journey towards a better deal for the customers of Australia’s banks, according to The Australia Institute.

Low income households already bearing the brunt of Telstra’s market power would be worse off if price caps were removed, according to The Australia Institute’s submission to an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s review. The ACCC is considering whether competition in telecommunications is sufficient to grant Telstra’s call for price controls to be dropped. The