Two thirds of Australians are in favour of the government taking action to ensure competition on the internet, new research by The Australia Institute reveals. Despite this, and the boom in online retail being fuelled by consumers’ desire for choice, a surprising number of people are less concerned about a lack of diversity online than

The Australia Institute and Sustainable Population Australia will host a talk by Kelvin Thomson MP on the evening of Thursday 25 August 2011. Kelvin will discuss the topic ‘The witches hats theory of government: How increasing population is making the task of government harder’. Providing food, water, energy, housing, education, jobs, health, liveable cities and

The most profitable retailers are the ones who can get you to pay far more than something is worth. In Australia, Tiffany jewellery, Levi’s jeans and even Coca-Cola cost far more than they do in other countries. The brands, the retailers and the shopping centres are the big winners out of this sad state of

This edition of the Institute’s newsletter looks at: ‘Closing the Gap 2011’; Silencing dissent in Environment Victoria; The rise of online retail; The macroeconomics of online shopping; The future of the republican movement in Australia; and Australia’s surplus fetish. It also looks at the hidden cost of maternity leave.

Economics is often called the dismal science. The accusation was justly made after Thomas Malthus predicted that “misery and vice” were the only check on world population growth. Of course these days many economists argue the exact opposite and suggest that population growth is essential for community wellbeing, but despite the U-turn the dismal tag

We’ve all heard that the Australian Public Service’s superannuation schemes are generous, and a look at the budget papers would seem to confirm this, revealing that the Government is spending $14.1 billion on this entitlement. Put another way, public servants’ super appears to be a staggering 73 per cent of the $19.2 billion spent on

What is the true value of the service we get when buying something at a shop? It can be quite high when the shopping experience adds to the pleasure of the purchase, such as getting you out of the house, friendly sales staff and nice food next door. The value added can be particularly high

While we might not ever be able to agree on whether advertising works or not, or why it is that companies who say it doesn’t are so determined to spend a fortune doing it, it is easy to answer a slightly different question: do politicians think advertising works? Based on the way they conduct election

The online retail boom is overwhelmingly being driven by people wanting to save money despite concerns it hurts local jobs, a new paper by The Australia Institute reveals. The rise and rise of online retail confirms many of the assumptions made about consumer attitudes and behaviour in relation to online shopping. 85 per cent of

The threat by big tobacco companies to slash cigarette prices if the Government presses ahead with its plan to legislate for plain packaging is proof that smokers in Australia are being ripped off to the tune of $500 million per year, according to analysis conducted by The Australia Institute. “The tobacco companies are saying that

Picking teams in Australian policy debates used to be as simple as picking sides in old movies; the good guys wore white, the bad guys wore black, and the audience knew where everybody stood. But life just isn’t that simple especially when we consider the milk price war that is raging at the moment. Am

This edition of the Institute’s newsletter looks at the foundations of Australian attitudes to boat people, patenting human genes, the politics behind the carbon tax, what “Made in Australia” really means and the consequences of high ATM fees. It also examines gambling revenue and the consequences that gambling reform will have on state and territory

Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s decision to give U.S. President Barack Obama an iPod of Australian music speaks volumes about the ongoing evolution of the strong relationship between Australia and the United States. While successive leaders have demonstrated their warm commitment to the international relationship, it is hard to imagine John Howard, or even Kevin Rudd,

Between the Lines is the Institute’s selective analysis of the policies and politics affecting the wellbeing of Australians. This edition looks at ATM fees, children in detention and the prime ministership of Kevin Rudd.

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

For the past two or three decades we have been told that globalisation and free trade will speed up the pace of capitalism and deliver innovation and efficiency to the benefit of all. Now we have a classic case study unfolding before our eyes: the changing structure of the Australian retail industry. Change of course

According to Australia’s big retailers the Australian tax system is making them uncompetitive against overseas online stores. Poor old Gerry Harvey says he will have to set up an online shop in China so that he too can ensure that Australians importing things worth less than $1,000 via the internet can avoid paying GST. But

In November 2010 the Australia Institute conducted an online survey of 1,294 Australians. Survey respondents were asked questions about a range of social issues, including their views on voluntary euthanasia.

What a year it has been! We’ve witnessed the fall of a Prime Minister, the rise of a woman to the top job, a hung Parliament, a drawn AFL final, a visit from Oprah, the Wikileaks exposé and supposedly a ‘new paradigm’. 2010 has had something for everyone. For The Australia Institute it has been

This edition of the Institute’s newsletter looks at 2010 in review, the consequences of ongoing work-life imbalance, the recent mortgage rate rise, Christmas public holiday pay, poverty traps and an article by Georgia Miller from Friends of the Earth on why we should approach nanotechnology with circumspection.

The Australia Institute today welcomed the Government’s shake up of the superannuation system. “Common sense has finally prevailed,” said the Institute’s Deputy Director Josh Fear. “The overwhelming majority of super fund members want more simplicity not more choice. Since the Howard Government introduced Choice of Fund in 2005, many people have been forced to make

Between the Lines is the Institute’s selective analysis of the policies and politics affecting the wellbeing of Australians. This edition looks at work-life balance and national Go Home On Time Day.

Between the Lines is the Institute’s selective analysis of the policies and politics affecting the wellbeing of Australians. This edition looks at Anti-Poverty Week, in particular the number of people missing out on government assistance they’re entitled to, and the poverty traps that exist in Australia’s tax system. It also considers whether the self-regulation of

This edition of the Institute’s newsletter looks at the 2010 federal election, the market power of Australia’s big four banks, green jobs, income quarantining, the case for a carbon price and a review of Nobel-prize winning economist Jospeh Stiglitz lecture at the Sydney Opera House.

The Coalition’s plan to cut 12,000 jobs from the Commonwealth public service will have a significant impact on regional economies, according to a new analysis released by The Australia Institute today. “Cutting the public service by 12,000 jobs as Tony Abbott has proposed to do via a hiring freeze will have a major impact on

Big business loves rapid population growth for the simple reason that they profit from having more potential customers. Governments seem to love rapid population growth because they benefit from having more taxpayers. But neither big business nor government wants to invest in the essential infrastructure that all those extra customers and taxpayers require. While the

In a big Australia, there are more people, more profits. But it’s a lazy way to grow. This opinion piece by Richard Denniss, first published in The Age, argues that population growth should impose obligations on governments to invest in new schools, new hospitals and new public transport.

Prime Minister Gillard’s vision of a sustainable Australia must incorporate an infrastructure strategy for our major cities, not just regional Australia, according to The Australia Institute.

Between the lines is the Institute’s selective analysis of the policies and politics affecting the wellbeing of Australians. This edition looks at the nature of green jobs and their creation; the return of dog whistling in political speech; donations to political parties.

The recommendations of the Cooper Review into Australia’s Superannuation System could boost super payouts by as much as $100,000, according to analysis by The Australia Institute. This is even higher than the government’s estimate of an additional $40,000 in extra retirement income for an average wage earner.