Despite long standing international commitments to spend 0.7% of national income on foreign aid, Australia’s support for developing countries has declined significantly over the past fifty years. In recent years, Australian governments have begun to shift their emphasis away from their failure to meet promised Official Development Assistance (ODA) and towards poorly defined commitments to

Widespread dissatisfaction with paid work hours, and employees working excessive unpaid overtime, are two of the key findings of the 2025 Go Home on Time Day (GHOTD) survey. The annual survey, undertaken by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute in early September, asked 1,001 Australian workers about their paid working hours and

The Australia Institute’s research recommends greater parliamentary oversight of the use of consultants in Australia’s public service, including using orders for documents to require consultants’ reports to be produced. This bill, which would establish a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Public Consultancy and Services Contracts, is a welcome step forward. The proposed committee would consider and report

The Australia Institute analysed the accounts of the University of Newcastle. It found that despite claims of a $16.3 million deficit, the audited accounts show a $61.3 million surplus, and net assets worth more than $1.8 billion at the end of 2024, up $150 million from the previous year. The university’s Vice-Chancellor dismissed the conclusion

Over half (54%) of Australians believe that the current primary purpose of universities is to make a profit, despite just 3% believing that should be the primary purpose of universities.

YouGov conducted a survey of 1500 Australian residents on behalf of The Australia Institute between 23rd Oct and 30th Oct 2025, using an online polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements.

YouGov conducted a survey of 1541 Australian voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between from 2nd Oct to 9th Oct 2025, using an online polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements.

In the past five years, Australian governments have allowed export gas volumes equivalent to 20 years worth of Australian domestic usage. Gas exports, not green tape, are undermining Australia’s energy security and driving up energy prices for Australians.

Poker machines are more likely to be located in areas of Australia in which at least 10% of the population is Indigenous. The exception to this national pattern is Western Australia, where poker machines are confined to one casino. As losses from pokies disproportionately affect Indigenous Australians, stronger poker machine regulation would significantly benefit Indigenous

The Bill should not pass because the Energy Roadmap proposals could increase Queensland’s emissions by 310 million tonnes to 2050, almost a years’ worth of Australia’s national emissions. This increase from the electricity sector will impose abatement costs of perhaps $98 billion on other parts of the economy. Within the Energy Roadmap there is an

The Australia Institute made a submission opposing the proposal to extend Peabody’s Wilpinjong Coal Mine, located near Mudgee, NSW.

The Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) mines are among the largest coal expansion proposals in Australia, representing potentially over a billion tonnes of total greenhouse gas emissions. The Australia Institute made a submission to the NSW planning process opposing the latest proposals. As with previous proposals to extend HVO North and South, emissions costs are underestimated and project

Theft of legal guns is now the main source of illegal guns in Australia, yet public information on the topic is scarce. This report compiles new data from state law enforcement agencies and other sources to find that over 9,000 firearms have been stolen since the start of 2020. At least 44,600 have been stolen over the past 20 years – one every four hours. Police recover only around a quarter of guns taken.

China’s territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea have remained largely consistent since 1949. While China has become more assertive in exercising those claims in recent years, its actions have not been solely responsible for tensions in the region. The involvement of non-claimants has neither facilitated a settlement of the disputes nor reversed China’s growing military advantage in the area. Beijing’s interests point to continuing its current policy of managing the disputes through dialogue with fellow claimants.

The Australia Institute sought and received correspondence between The Australian government and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, under Freedom of Information. These documents relate to the impact of commercial salmon farming on the endangered Maugean skate in the World Heritage Wilderness Area of Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania.

Australia is a thriving, inventive democracy, but measured reforms would strengthen and protect political institutions.

Adani sold coal for $100/t through a period that saw relevant coal prices reach $280/t, resulting in apparent royalty underpayments of almost $400 million. The Queensland Government’s decision to abandon its pursuit of these royalties may be linked to regulatory action around Adani’s Abbot Point coal terminal.

The Albanese government is lagging on transparency: Only 21% of 2023-24 FOI requests were granted in full compared to 81% in 2006-07. Whereas the average request once took 13 hours to determine (2006-07), it now takes 51 hours (2023-24). In other words, the Albanese government employs four public servants to do what only took one

Audited financial statements show that the ANU made a ‘profit’ of $90 million in 2024 and $136 million in 2023. Despite such strong financial results, ANU leadership justifies cuts to staffing and courses by pointing to ‘underlying operating deficits’. The underlying deficit changes the audited result in ways that cannot be justified. They appear designed

As China shapes the world, who are the people shaping China? This brief discusses seven prominent people in China whose lives reflect a diverse and fast-evolving society.

The Howard Government claimed that GST revenue would grow in line with Australia’s economy.

How Australian Governments game their climate targets to conceal their lack of climate action.

State government cultural funding is dependent on federal revenue, yet Australia’s Federal Government raises little tax revenue by international standards. Arts advocates and state leaders should be vocal in urging the Federal Government to raise more revenue. Raising the State’s GST revenue to match economic growth since 2001 could put $76 million per year into

The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Standing Committee on the Integrity Commission and Statutory Office Holders’ Inquiry into the operation of the 2024 ACT Election and Electoral Act 1992.

This year’s lecture was delivered by the Hon Doug Cameron, former NSW Senator, on September 10 in the Solidarity Hall at the Victorian Trades Hall Council. The Laurie Carmichael Lecture is an annual keynote lecture hosted by the Carmichael Centre, an initiative of the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, in partnership with RMIT University’s

The costs of climate change are increasing rapidly, while local government revenues grow slowly. Climate costs will become increasingly onerous on local government unless new revenue sources are created, such as a climate disaster levy on fossil fuel companies.

Scholarships, grants and other links between Australian universities and fossil fuel industries

MPs receive $1.2 million worth of entitlements each year, and Senators $1.1 million. Over the course of an election cycle, these entitlements are worth at least $3.6 million per MP and $3.2 million per Senator. These resources can be used to boost re-election chances, creating barriers to entry for challengers that help explain why about 9 in 10 incumbents get re-elected.

Australia Institute research has long documented the comprehensive failure of government policies to prioritise the interests of Australians over multinational gas exporters. Our view is that the incremental technocratic policies of successive governments to solve these issues have failed, and that a fresh approach is needed. The ACTU’s proposal for a 25% tax on gas

Australia taxes wealth very lightly. Imposing a 2% wealth tax on those with net assets over $5 million, an inheritance tax on large estates, and scrapping the CGT discount could raise $70 billion per year.