September 2023

Majority of Australians support fossil fuel industry paying for the costs of climate change

A significant majority of Australians (at least 75%) are concerned about the impact of the climate crisis on food supply, agriculture and insurance premiums, and support policies that would force fossil fuel companies to pay for the damage they are causing, according to the Australia Institute’s 2023 Climate of the Nation report.

Dead in the Water

featuring Ebony Bennett and Kate McBride

A new deal to save the Murray-Darling basin has been brokered by Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, following another mass fish kill, and a survey finding not a single adult Murray Cod in the Lower Darling-Bakka. This was recorded on Tuesday 5th September 2023 and things may have changed since recording. The Australia Institute //

August 2023

Parliament House

Another Democracy Agenda reform ticked off

by Bill Browne

Last week, Education Minister Jason Clare announced that he was going to remove political interference from the Australian Research Council grants process (except for national security concerns). It is a victory for academic freedom, and a testament to the work of Senator Mehreen Faruqi – who proposed the Ensuring Research Independence Bill back in 2018.

Ending the ‘Jobs for Mates’ Culture with Dr Sophie Scamps [Webinar]

featuring Ebony Bennett

Restoring trust and integrity in Australia’s democracy was a key issue in 2022 federal election. In March, independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps introduced a new bill designed to end the ‘jobs for mates’ culture in federal politics. The bill seeks to legislate a transparent and independent process for major government public appointments, setting a gold

July 2023

Leading Civil Society Organisations Publish Open Letter Calling for Long Overdue Political Finance Reforms

Australia’s leading civil society organisations have today published a full-page ad in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Australian Financial Review and Canberra Times newspapers, calling for long overdue political finance reforms to make politics fairer and more transparent.

Australians Identify Corporate Profits – Not Wages – as Major Driver of Inflation

Research conducted by the Australia Institute reveals Australians understand that the current rise in inflation has not been driven by wages growth, contrary to the single-minded focus of the Reserve Bank on labour costs over the past two years. The Australia Institute surveyed Australians about their views on the causes of, and solutions to, inflation,

Why it’s hard to beat sitting MPs in elections

featuring Ebony Bennett, Bill Browne and Elizabeth Morison

Sitting parliamentarians rarely lose elections. While incumbents have a publicly funded head-start, challengers rely on donations to fund their election campaigns, which is why political donation reform needs to ensure everyone should be able to afford a ticket to run in an election. This was recorded on Friday 23rd June 2023 and things may have

June 2023

Nordic Talks: The Value of a Free Press [Webinar]

featuring Ebony Bennett

Norway is number one the World Press Freedom Index, while Australia dropped 14 places in 2022 due in part to its highly concentrated media landscape. This webinar, the second of our special Nordic Talks webinar series, will explore how Norway’s targeted ‘press support’ subsidies could help Australia to achieve greater diversity in its highly concentrated

Truth in political ads, election reform welcome, but devil is in the detail

The Australia Institute welcomes the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ interim report for its inquiry into the conduct of the 2022 election, in which Australia Institute research and recommendations are cited often. The committee recommends: A lower donation disclosure threshold ($1,000, down from over $15,000) and real-time disclosure of donations. Caps on political donations

May 2023

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