An American bin fire | Between the Lines
This edition: Stiglitz in Australia, banning fossil fuel ads and After America hits the charts
The Wrap with Ebony Bennett
Watching the bin fire that is the American presidential race, Australian democracy is looking pretty good.
There are without doubt some key things to be grateful for.
Our system of compulsory preferential voting, for example, which ensures no vote is wasted – unlike in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Australia Electoral Commission, which ensures our elections are transparent and fair; free of the blatant gerrymandering we see in the States.
Even the secret ballot, an essential component of democracy worldwide, is an Australian invention.
But we cannot take our democracy for granted.
We need truth in political advertising laws that make it illegal to lie in political ads so public trust in our system doesn’t erode irreparably.
We need political finance reform exposes the undue influence of fossil fuel companies and others – and that doesn’t rig the system against independents and minor parties.
We also need to have a serious conversation about inequality, which undermines faith in democracy.
That’s why our Executive Director toured Australia last month, talking about the absurdity of the argument that we “can’t afford” to tackle the housing crisis, address child poverty and protect our native wildlife as one of the richest nations on the planet.
“The problem is so many of our democratic problems have been dressed up as economic problems.”
“When powerful people want submarines, apparently we can afford them.”
“Increase unemployment benefits? Not so much.”
– Executive Director Richard Denniss@RDNS_TAI #auspol pic.twitter.com/sEEjJeFGRE
— Australia Institute (@TheAusInstitute) June 14, 2024
And that’s why we’re proud to host Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz in Australia in the coming weeks as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations.
One of the most influential economists on the planet, Professor Stiglitz will be touring the country to talk about how neoliberalism has created a vicious circle of economic and political inequality – especially in the United States, where money plays such a large role in politics.
I really look forward to my trip to Australia. https://t.co/Pbx0M7Ud0k
— Joseph E. Stiglitz (@JosephEStiglitz) July 18, 2024
He’ll share his ideas about how to create a society where everyone can flourish and, in doing so, preserve and strengthen our democracy for future generations.
Tickets running out, so don’t miss your chance.
— Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director of the Australia Institute
The Big Stories
Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz touring Australia
Nobel-Prize winning economist, former World Bank Chief Economist and best-selling author Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz will tour Australia as a guest of the Australia Institute, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations in 2024.
See Professor Stiglitz in person in Hobart, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth, or join the waitlist for the Sydney event.
The defining image of the US election?
Assassination attempts on presidents and presidential nominees are littered throughout American history.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump raises his fist as he is rushed off stage after an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. @apnews pic.twitter.com/VoAYqRC4QV
— Evan Vucci (@evanvucci) July 14, 2024
What happened in Pennsylvania is horrifying, but sadly not surprising, Australia Institute Senior Researcher Dr Emma Shortis writes in The Conversation.
“There have been a series of tipping points in this campaign so far, and this may well be the decisive one. It could turn Trump from a martyr to a saint in the eyes of his supporters,” Dr Shortis writes.
Rise of minor parties and independents demands power sharing rethink
Australia was never exclusively a “two-party system”, a reality that is getting harder to ignore as minor party and independent representation grows, according to new research from the Australia Institute.
While power sharing has always been a feature of Australian parliaments, the declining major party vote demands a more mature and nuanced analysis of electoral outcomes, the contribution of crossbenchers, and their role in government.
“In the last 20 years none of the seats that have been won by an independent were marginal.
“They were all safe, or fairly safe seats.
“Not a single marginal seat was taken by an independent off a major party.”
– Executive Director Richard Denniss @RDNS_TAI #auspol pic.twitter.com/wGLHYjiY2F
— Australia Institute (@TheAusInstitute) July 18, 2024
“Dark talk of ‘coalitions of chaos’ or ‘maverick’ independents ignores the historical reality that power sharing has been a feature of parliaments as long as they have existed,” said Bill Browne, Director of the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program.
“Political commentators and strategists who focus on the two-party ‘horse race’, neglecting the growing minor party and independent vote, will increasingly be caught out by seat upsets.”
Should Australia ban fossil fuel advertising?
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a global fossil fuel advertising ban.
Fossil Ad Ban has been leading the charge in Australia to “stop fossil fuel companies and high greenhouse gas polluters using marketing and sponsorships to delay the inevitable and urgently required social transition to clean energy.”
They find that Australia’s top five fossil fuel advertisers spend more than $200 million annually on advertising across all platforms including radio, billboards, and digital.
In this context, a tobacco-style ban on fossil fuel advertising would be a decisive win for Australia and the climate, writes Yasmine Wright Gittins.
Hydrogen: renewable superpower or greenwash for fossil fuels?
According to the Federal Government, hydrogen is ‘at the heart’ of plans to make Australia a renewable energy superpower.
Unfortunately, the government’s own numbers contradict this, as pointed out in the Australia Institute’s recent submission.
Australia currently uses about 500,000 tonnes of hydrogen each year, and the government is budgeting to produce…*drumroll*…about 500,000 tonnes per year into the 2040s.
Divide those costs by $2/kg and it’s clear that the gov is budgeting for between 300k and 550k tonnes per year: pic.twitter.com/VJQqhabiao
— Roderick Campbell (@R_o_d_C) July 18, 2024
So either the government’s budget is out by billions or there’s no hydrogen left over to become a superpower, drive hydrogen buses or anything else.
What gives? The claim that we’ll export clean hydrogen gas in the future is being used to justify expanding dirty fossil gas exports now.
Hydrogen has a role in cleaning up industry, but the government’s rhetoric around hydrogen superpowers is actually more about greenwash than green steel.
Why we need a parliamentary inquiry into South Australia’s proposed new political donation laws
Last month, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas announced an ambitious change to the state’s electoral laws: a ban on political donations.
To compensate them for lost donation revenue, political parties and MPs in Parliament would receive significantly more public funding – and parties and candidates would be restricted in how much they can spend on election campaigns.
Bill Browne, the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Director, explains that replacing political donations may sound good in theory, but in practice what matters is who gets the money – and how much they get.
As with any change to electoral law, the exact effects are difficult to predict – which is why the Australia Institute is calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the laws.
Podcasts
Trump defiant after assassination attempt | After America
What does the assassination attempt on Donald Trump mean for the race to the Whitehouse?
On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis speaks to Professor the Hon Bob Carr unpacks what it could mean for the campaign, as well as the emergence of JD Vance as Trump’s running mate and the trajectory of American foreign policy.
Listen now:
Why no seat is ‘safe’ anymore | Follow the Money
It’s said that ‘disunity is death’ in Australian politics, but – as several major party politicians found out in the 2022 election – falling in behind an unpopular policy agenda can be pretty dangerous for your career as well.
On this episode of Follow the Money, Australia Institute Executive Director Richard Denniss joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the big changes taking place in Australian politics and how they might influence the next election.
Listen now:
Australia wastes billions making housing more expensive | Dollars & Sense
It’s not easy to screw up the housing market this badly – it’s taken Australia decades of bad policy and billions of dollars to get here.
On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Australia Institute Senior Economist Matt Grudnoff talks about what caused Australia’s housing crisis and what government can do to fix it.
Listen now:
The Quote
“I think he misses me.”
— Former President Donald Trump on North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un during his address to the Republican National Convention.
The Win
After America, the new Australia Institute podcast hosted by Dr Emma Shortis, has hit the charts.
This week, the series rose to the number four spot in the Apple Podcasts Politics charts, after reaching the top 50 for all podcasts Australia-wide.
You can subscribe to After America now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favourite shows.
The Bin
Former senator and transparency advocate Rex Patrick has lost his appeal to the full Federal Court challenging the Australian Information Commissioner’s multi-year delays in handling freedom of information (FOI) reviews.
Patrick argued that the FOI Act requires information to be made accessible in a prompt or timely manner, and that the delays he experienced in his FOI reviews were objectively unreasonable.
However, the Court determined that resourcing is relevant in whether a delay is unreasonable. This effectively gives governments the ability to underfund the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and frustrate the FOI system without consequences.
Director of the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program, Bill Browne, said the decision was a clear indicator Australia’s FOI system needs urgent reform.
“Starving the body that reviews FOI complaints of resources appears to be a deliberate strategy to shield the government from scrutiny.”
What’s On
Unparliamentary with Clare Armstrong | 1pm AEST, Tuesday 23 July
Unparliamentary is the Australia Institute’s fortnightly show that gives you the scoop on what’s happening in federal politics.
Unpack the big political and policy issues with Clare Armstrong, national political editor of the Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Adelaide Advertiser and Courier Mail.
The Jakarta option: Could Indonesia ever be an ally? | 11am AEST, Friday 2 August
Australia and Indonesia face similar threats in a changing Asia. Could this lead to closer ties?
The Jakarta Option, the latest issue of Australian Foreign Affairs, examines Australia’s relationship with Indonesia and the prospects of the two neighbours working together as tensions in Asia increase.
In this Australia Institute webinar, our panel will discuss how Canberra can adapt to a changing Indonesia as the world’s fourth-most populous nation enters a new era under its next president, Prabowo Subianto.
Work with us
Want to work with one of Australia’s most influential public policy think tanks?
We’re hiring for several positions to help us deliver high impact research that combines rigorous fact-driven material with cutting-edge communication strategies.
- Communications Director, applications close Sunday 21 July 2024
- Senior Media Advisor, applications close Sunday 21 July 2024
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, applications close Sunday 21 July 2024
Find out more via the links or on our website.
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