The Government’s decision to end free childcare come July is at odds with its own economic goals, as new research by The Australia Institute’s Nordic Policy Centre reveals policies that make it easier for women to choose to go back to work will see the country recover faster from the COVID-19 economic crisis while also reaping

A new discussion paper from The Australia Institute has outlined how Australia could emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as one of the richest countries in the world while gaining long-lasting benefits from economic stimulus projects and a renewed faith in the effectiveness of democratic governance. “The response to COVID-19 will cost hundreds of billions of

New research from The Australia Institute has found that the economy and climate change are the two most important issues for voters in the seat of Eden-Monaro, with a majority of voters saying economic stimulus following the COVID-19 crisis should also address and build our resilience to climate change. The Australia Institute commissioned uComms to

Australians can lay to rest concern over incurring and repaying government debt, as new research shows urgent spending required in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will not create a debt burden, and therefore should not provoke future austerity measures to ‘repay the debt’. The report, released today by the Australia Institute, reveals misunderstanding around how

Training must play a vital role in reorienting the economy after the pandemic, supporting workers training for new jobs including millions of young people entering a depressed labour market without concrete pathways to work. But what kind of jobs will we be doing in 2040? And how prepared is Australia’s skills system (and universities specifically) to play this important role now?

by Richard Denniss[Originally Published on Guardian Australia, 10 June 2020] Not only have women been hardest hit by the response to Covid-19, they have got the least out of government assistance and stimulus packages. Monday’s announcement that the temporary provision of free childcare is about to end was just the latest in a long line

Our nation is confronting the most significant economic challenge in nearly a century. Australia’s own experience of long-term, sustained public investment during post-war reconstruction shows direct tools of government planning and investment will be essential to our recovery today. Yet Scott Morrison continues to pretend his hands are tied: “if there’s no business, there’s no jobs, there’s no income, there’s nothing.”

Despite the fact that women have disproportionately lost their jobs and hours of work in the recession the Government’s stimulus measures have been disproportionately focussed on male-intensive industries according to new analysis by the Australia Institute. “Between March and April the number of women employed fell 5.3 per cent compared to 3.9 per cent for

It’s easy to avoid a hard question by simply saying the government “should” provide more money to the universities. But there’s a long list of things the Morrison government should do: extend the JobKeeper payment to casuals and temporary residents; permanently boost unemployment benefits; provide support to the arts and entertainment industry; introduce a carbon

The NSW Government plan to cut the pay of public servants and spend more money on capital works will likely lead to a reduction of 1,100 jobs according to a new analysis by the Australia Institute. “While spending money on new construction projects will likely create some jobs in some parts of New South Wales,

New research from The Australia Institute has found that more than three in four Australians (77%) support states closing their borders to interstate travel. The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Australians about their view on state border closures on 27-28 May. Key Findings: More than three in four Australians (77%) support

A new report from The Australia Institute has found the Tasmanian State Government has spent a far larger proportion of its Gross State Product (GSP) than any other Australian state. The new analysis collates publicly available data, with at least some traceability, on state responses to the COVID-19 induced economic emergency, between March 23rd and

New research from The Australia Institute has found that a majority of voters in the seat of Eden-Monaro want the JobSeeker payment to be permanently increased from its pre-pandemic level of $283 per week. The revelation of the $60 billion JobKeeper hole raises pressure on the Government to increase JobeSeeker. The Australia Institute conducted a

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy recently issued a directive that going to work with the ‘sniffles’ is ‘off the agenda for every Australian in the foreseeable future.’ But with millions of workers without access to paid sick leave, government plans to lift restrictions on economic activity could risk dangerous and costly outbreaks. 

New research from The Australia Institute has found that more than one in two Australians agree that the Government should double funding for the Australia Council for the Arts to help support the arts during COVID-19, and the majority of Australians (62%) agree that online streaming services should be subject to similar Australian content obligations

by Ebony Bennett[Originally published by the Canberra Times, 16 May 2020] This week, the federal government announced Australia’s biggest monthly rise in unemployment since the Australian Bureau of Statistics started publishing labour force statistics, shooting up to 6.2 per cent from 5.2 per cent just a month earlier. But, in a classic case of expectations

by Richard Denniss[Originally published on Guardian Australia, 13 May 2020] The government is telling us that if we don’t open up the Australian economy soon, we will do lasting harm to it. But the forecasters at Treasury and the Reserve Bank are relying on economic models that assume the deeper the recession we have, the faster our

by Richard Deniss[Originally published in the Australian Financial Review, 11 May 2020] Would you prefer to double your salary or to double the rate at which it will grow in the next few years? Personally, I would rather a high-income that’s growing slowly. But the Morrison Government is telling anyone that will listen that we