Australians are suffering from climate disasters that are accelerating as climate change worsens. Climate change is spurred on by the historical and present emissions of the fossil fuel industry. A levy on fossil fuel exports could make the fossil fuel industry pay for the harms it has caused and raise up to $100 billion every year.

Do beer drinkers pay more tax than gas companies? Yes, they do! Independent Senator David Pocock recently asked Treasury officials whether beer excise raised more money than a key tax on the gas industry, Australia’s Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT). A video of the response – that yes, more money comes from beer excise than

Redbridge, on behalf of The Australia Institute, surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,010 Australians about their knowledge of, and opinions on, Australia’s gas exports. One Nation voters are more likely to correctly respond that more than 59% of gas is exported and are among the most supportive of taxing Australian gas exports.

Through official communications that amplify fossil fuel industry narratives, exaggerate progress, and promote false solutions, it undermines science, delays decarbonisation, and legitimises fossil fuel expansion. Addressing this requires systemic reforms to prevent and hold government accountable for misleading climate information. This report is submitted to the Senate Inquiry into Greenwashing. The original submission and related

Greenwashing in Australia is a symptom of deeper regulatory and economic failures—primarily, the failure to require, enable, and reward genuine emissions reductions and environmental protection. Without structural reform that mandates and incentivises environmental performance, greenwashing will remain a rational, government-enabled market strategy. The original submission and related documents can be found here.

Participants in Australia’s temporary worker program for the Pacific and Timor-Leste – the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme – generate almost $1 billion in economic value, but less than $200 million ends up going home with them. This submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Inquiry into the value of skilled migration to

Unlimited gas exports over the past decade have increased energy prices for Australians, worsened climate change and raised little money for the public. Most gas exports pay zero royalties and Australia’s petroleum tax collects less revenue than HECS. The Albanese government’s response is a ‘gas reservation scheme’. While the details are currently being negotiated, the

Australia has one of the world’s most privatised high school systems. These schools charge families high and rising fees and receive significant government funding, all without delivering substantially better results.

The Triple J Hottest 100 featured fewer Australian songs in 2024 than in any year since 1995. Australians are spending more on music than ever before, but less is going to Australian artists. Policy support matters – Australia’s arts funding is among the lowest in the developed world. US artists dominate Australian charts, but the

The CGT discount has made housing unaffordable, increased inequality, distorted lending, and is reducing investment and productivity. It should be scrapped.

Holding the parliamentary inquiry into the Restoring Electoral Fairness Bill over the holiday break will limit the ability of the committee to investigate the consequences of the bill for Queensland democracy. That is worrying, because there are serious concerns with the changes proposed by the Queensland Government. Queensland’s ban on political donations by property developers

Australia Institute research shows that in 2024 there were over 4 million guns legally owned in the civilian population in Australia. This is 25% more than before the Port Arthur shootings in 1996 when there were around 3 million guns. That figure fell below 2.5 million after the Howard Government gun reforms. This shows that

At present, the Commonwealth has no “clear power” to ban a consulting firm that monetised confidential Treasury information, which meant that PwC was not banned from bidding for government contracts in the wake of the tax leaks scandal. This Bill fills that gap in the Commonwealth’s powers and ensures that PwC, alongside other firms that

Labour mobility is a significant contributor to Pacific Islands’ economies. Australia and New Zealand’s temporary labour migration schemes for Pacific workers have expanded into more industries including personal care work in aged care. This has led to the loss of skilled health workers from Pacific Island countries, including registered nurses, to lower-skilled personal care jobs

The Albanese Government has acknowledged Australia’s gas export problem. However, rather than implement a tax that would reduce domestic prices, raise revenue and help the climate, the government looks to be weighing options that favour either Santos or its rivals Origin and Shell.

Australia’s recorded music industry is making more money, but less of it is staying in Australia. Fewer new artists are achieving lasting success because, on streaming services, they must compete on an uneven playing field with international and established acts. This paper suggests two ways that new artists could be better supported: by supporting local

The Environmental Protection Reform Bill 2025 would weaken environmental protection by replicating the problematic NSW biodiversity offsetting scheme. The Bill establishes a ‘payments to destroy’ fund that transfers responsibility for nature destruction from project proponents to the public, creating time lags in responding to environmental impacts and reducing the likelihood that such responses will replace

There are currently no disclosure standards for Australian companies’ charitable spending. This means claims of corporate giving are hard to verify and frequently dubious. Clear and consistent disclosure standards would help investors, consumers, and the public make more informed decisions.

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 creation of energy from waste facilities is not an effective ‘solution’ to managing residual waste. Rather than risking the health and environment of regional communities through these facilities, better solutions will focus on reducing the amount of residual waste produced in the first place.

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.