June 2024
Majority support for Assange’s release and return home
A majority of Australians (57%) want the Biden Administration to drop the prosecution of Julian Assange and allow him to return home to Australia, according to new Australia Institute research.
SA’s political donation ban ambitious, but must safeguard diversity of voices
The Malinauskas Government’s electoral amendment bill could represent a potential paradigm shift in South Australian politics, but risks adverse outcomes unless carefully tested in a parliamentary inquiry.
Machiavelli would have known what to do about PwC
Today, the name of Niccolò Machiavelli is a byword for cynicism and hunger for power, but there was one profession so parasitic and selfish even he could not stomach it.
Australia’s Great Gas Giveaway | Between the Lines
This edition: Independents call out the gas industry and Australia’s consultant addiction continues
NACC’s decision puts responsibility for Robodebt response back on government
The decision by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to not investigate potentially corrupt conduct by public servants administering Robodebt highlights the gaps in Australia’s accountability and anti-corruption regime.
Majority of Australians back digital free-to-air sports coverage
Australia Institute research has found a majority (56%) of Australians want free-to-air sports coverage to be available on the internet.
Privatised Profits, Services Failure: Consumers Worse Off After Three Decades of Competition Policy
New analysis from the Australia Institute shows that the privatisation, deregulation, and outsourcing of public services has failed to provide economic or social returns to Australians.
For a robust democracy, we need a working anti-corruption system and truth in political advertising
Transparency, integrity and accountability were buzzwords of the 2024 state election, yet Tasmanians went to the polls without knowing where their politicians get their money, without laws requiring truth in political advertising, and without an anti-corruption body that is fit for purpose.
May 2024
The Assange litmus test and the fight to shape a future Trump administration
Who would have thought that the legal and personal travails of Julian Assange, the Australian citizen whom US authorities are invested in prosecuting and jailing for the rest of his life without deep consideration of his fundamental rights, would become a lightning rod for former President Trump’s re-election hopes?
Can Jim Chalmers ‘buy’ a reduction to inflation?
While money can’t buy everything, the Australian Government can ‘buy’ a lower Consumer Price Index (CPI).
These nine popular policies launched in Canberra, so where are they now?
In 2019 the Australia Institute identified ambitious, progressive policies from the Australian Capital Territory, most of which are overwhelmingly popular among all Australians. Five years on, we have an update on how these policies have progressed in Canberra and around Australia.
“Perverse Incentive” NSW Government Continues Native Forest Logging to Keep Carbon Credits Plan Alive
An investigative video report by the Australia Institute has found taxpayer subsidised native forest logging is destroying hundreds of hectares of the future Great Koala National Park each week, despite the NSW Government’s election commitment to put the land aside for protection.
Assange Verdict Sees Punishment-By-Process Continue
The UK High Court decision to grant Julian Assange’s request to appeal against his extradition to the United States provides a welcome, but temporary stay and hope for the campaign to free him, while continuing his punishment-by-process at the hands of Australia’s closest ally.
The great greenwashing myth being sold to Australians
Nobody likes to be hoodwinked, but that’s what big companies are essentially doing when they engage in greenwashing – giving consumers the false impression they have business practices that help the environment instead of harming it.
Reform Agenda Launches ahead of Tasmanian Parliament’s Return
New research from the Australia Institute has identified 16 key reforms that are required to strengthen and safeguard democracy in Tasmania, which now lags behind many mainland jurisdictions in accountability and transparency.
April 2024
Transparency only shouted from opposition benches: Patrick
Former Senator Rex Patrick is on a mission to make freedom of information reform “sexy”.
Making freedom of information “sexy” with Rex Patrick
Freedom of Information laws have helped the public uncover information governments would prefer to keep secret, but the system is failing.
The Cruelty Is The Point: Australia and the Politics of Empire
Watch Dr Emma Shortis’ address to ‘Night Falls In The Evening Lands: The Assange Epic’ at RMIT University, Melbourne, on 9th March 2024.
Incumbent NSW MPs enjoy $2 million in incumbency advantages, on top of head-start from the state’s political finance laws
Research from the Australia Institute demonstrates that the NSW electoral system’s donation caps, spending caps and public funding benefit established parties and incumbent MPs at the expense of new parties and independent candidates.
Extract | Bad Cop Bad Cop: Peter Dutton’s Strongman Politics
This is an extract of Lech Blaine’s Quarterly Essay, Bad Cop: Peter Dutton’s Strongman Politics, out now.
Cook By-Election: Landslide Support for Integrity Reform in Politics
An overwhelming majority of voters in the seat of Cook, the electorate of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, support truth in political advertising and a strong National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Monthly Ministerial Diary Disclosures Among Measures Proposed to Enhance Political Transparency
Ministerial diaries would be published monthly and access to Parliament House would be democratised under news recommendations from the Australia Institute.
Why minority government can be better for Australia
Prime ministers need to stop “waving their mandates around” and start negotiating in both houses of parliament if they want to pass more legislation, says Richard Denniss.
Labor’s pledge to depoliticise the public service is undermined by the government only hearing what it wants to hear on climate change
While last year’s robodebt royal commission exposed a shocking lack of ethics among senior ranks of the Australian public service, the systemic condition still largely seems to be regarded as an aberration.
Minority retort
The major parties claim that minority and coalition governments are chaotic and unworkable, but are they actually more effective?
Whether you tune in or not, journalism’s a public good that benefits us all
For three years, Meta and Google have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Australian publishers in exchange for using news content.
March 2024
Tax the cloud to peg back techno-lords: Varoufakis
Big tech is kicking capitalism to the kerb, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis tells a sold-out crowd at the State Library of NSW in a special episode of Follow the Money.
The power of political leadership and evidence-based policy | Climate Integrity Summit Panel
What would an evidence-based response from the government to climate change look like? And how can we build integrity back into our democratic system? At the Climate Integrity Summit 2024, our first panel discussed the power of political leadership and evidence-based policy. Featuring: Bernie Fraser, Former Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia Dr Monique Ryan MP,
Tasmania’s fear of government debt is hurting the state
Tasmanians have been badly served by its government’s exaggerated fears about the condition of the state budget.
The end of capitalism with Yanis Varoufakis
Capitalism is dying, but not in the way you might think.
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