As Australia continues to experience the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and looks to economic recovery, the arts and entertainment sector should be a key target for economic support. The arts and entertainment sector employs an even mix of women and men, and employs many more people per million dollars of turnover than industries like

Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians about their attitudes towards tax and budget priorities. The results show that most Australians agree with positive statements about taxation, and would prefer additional government spending to tax cuts or deficit reduction. Seven in ten (69%) Australians agree with Oliver Wendell Holmes’

Implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will require additional Commonwealth funding of at least $10 billion per year, and there are several revenue tools which the government could use to raise those funds. While the Royal Commission’s 148 recommendations were not explicitly costed, the Centre’s report shows that

Existing mines in NSW’s Upper Hunter region are approved to mine 241 million tonnes per year, but mined just 150 million tonnes in 2019/20. The difference of 91.5 million tonnes shows that there is no need for new coal projects in the state. Filling in the Upper Hunter’s final voids would cost between $12 billion

Australia’s electricity industry constitutes a large and critical component of our national economic infrastructure. The industry produces $25 billion per year in value- added. It employs around 50,000 Australians, paying out $6 billion per year in wages and salaries. It makes $45 billion in annual purchases from a diverse and far-reaching supply chain, that provides

In recent times, online platforms like Facebook have usurped core aspects of what we expect from a public square. However, Facebook’s surveillance business model and engagement-at-all-costs algorithm is designed to promote commercial rather than civic objectives, creating a more divided and distorted public discourse. This discussion paper aims to initiate a focused discussion around the

Budget policy has traditionally advantaged men over women. This paper makes seven recommendations on how to improve women’s economic security and use the budget as a tool to reduce gender inequality.

In 2020-21, Australian Federal and state governments provided a total of $10.3 billion worth of spending and tax breaks to assist fossil fuel industries. The $7.8 billion cost of the fuel tax rebate alone is more than the budget of the Australian Army. Over the longer term, $8.3 billion is committed to subsidising gas extraction,

The US is expected to commit to halving its emissions by 2030, based on 2005 levels. In other words, they will reduce emissions by 43% from today’s levels in the next decade, despite plans for massive COVID-19 economic stimulus. The new US climate target will abate 5.2 billion tonnes of CO2 and be a significant

What is the Federal Government’s Gas-Fired Recovery Plan? At its most base level it appears to be a series of taxpayer subsidies to export-focused gas companies. The process for allocating these subsidies is secretive, with no publicly available criteria, or even policy documents answering many of the basic questions of what the plan is aiming

The majority of voters (57.4%) in the NSW state seat of Upper Hunter support former PM Malcolm Turnbull’s call for a moratorium on new coal mine approvals and a remediation plan for existing mines for the Hunter Valley. The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 686 residents in the NSW state seat of

The federal government can improve Australia’s low electric vehicle uptake through upfront purchase incentives, CO2 emissions standards, a 100% gov fleet target and correcting its own misinformation and modelling.

Modelling from the Centre for Social Research and Methods on income, wealth and gender distribution of negative gearing, CGT discount, super tax concessions and excess franking credits shows that these tax concessions overwhelmingly benefit high-income, high-wealth men.

Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,434 Australians about their attitudes to voluntary assisted dying. Results show that most Australians support voluntary assisted dying with appropriate safeguards, and the rights of territories to legislate their own voluntary assisted dying laws. Three in four Australians (76%) agree with the principle that

The Australia-China relationship is at a low point. China has made its displeasure with Australia clear through a freeze on ministerial contact, trade import restrictions and criticisms of Australia’s human rights record. Beijing is waiting for Australia to make a move to improve the relationship, while Canberra has said that the ball is in China’s

23 new coal projects are proposed in NSW, with total production capacity equivalent to 15 Adani-sized mines. Ten Adanis’ worth of these projects are proposed for the Upper Hunter. Local and international factors mean not all of these projects can proceed. A moratorium should be placed on new coal approvals while a coherent regional planning framework is developed for the Hunter. This framework should be based around a world with net zero emissions in 2050.

In March 2020, the Government lifted almost half a million Australians (470,000) out of poverty, including 75,000 children, by introducing the coronavirus supplement worth $550 per fortnight.

This report has been prepared by the Victoria Energy Policy Centre (VEPC) for the Australia Institute to provide advice to the Energy Security Board’s Post-2025 redesign of the National Electricity Market (NEM). The terms of reference require us to examine the arrangements for the provision of inertia and system strength in the NEM. Inertia refers

Batteries and renewable energy can provide inertia and system strength in the National Electricity Market as coal is retired. The Post-2025 redesign is the opportunity to enable the energy transition with a fit-for-purpose security regime. This discussion paper summarises a technical study written by leading energy economist Professor Bruce Mountain and battery expert Dr Steven

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1005 Australians about their thoughts on gender quotas for the Liberal Party and their confidence in the Prime Minister’s ability to address issues primarily affecting women. Results show that: More than half (53%) of Australians support the Liberal Party setting gender quotas to achieve a representative

Successive ACT Governments have said they are committed to a respectful relationship with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in the ACT and to working closely with them. The Parliamentary Agreement between ACT Labor and the ACT Greens commits the ACT Government to embarking on treaty discussions and rescinding certain restrictive clauses in

The Australia Institute made a submission objecting to the proposal to expand and extend the Mangoola coal mine in the Hunter Valley.

The Australia Institute made a submission objecting to the proposal to expand and extend the Mt Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter Valley.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians about whether they support an independent inquiry into the fitness of the Attorney General, as well as the way the Federal Government is handling recent allegations of violence against women and issues that primarily affect women.

The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the COAG Reform Fund Amendment (No Electric Vehicle Taxes) Bill 2020 (the No EV Tax Amendment).

One of the most extensive studies of Australians’ knowledge of and attitudes to the Senate finds that the Senate is a unique, powerful legislative body, but Australians are confused about key details of its powers and operation. The Senate provides accountability, representation and diversity to a greater extent than the House of Representatives.

This submission is made on behalf of the National Integrity Committee. We are an independent group of retired judges who have been involved in advocating the need for a National Integrity Commission. The Committee was formed with the assistance of The Australia Institute. However, we remain an entirely independent body acting in the public interest

This briefing note presents data on the gendered composition of the employment recovery since May. It shows women’s jobs returned on a more part-time and casualised basis than for men, and that the influx of women’s lower-earning jobs widened the gender pay gap between May and November 2020. While women were more likely to lose

Welcome to the January 2021 issue of the NEEA Report, with data relating to electricity in the National Electricity Market updated to the end of November 2020. This includes a short summary of the very important investment initiatives in New South Wales, announced by Minister Matt Kean at the end of November. This issue also

A study of 33 OECD countries shows that Australia could substantially lift its unemployment payments without any meaningful disincentives for working. The Government has argued that Australia’s internationally low unemployment payments are needed, in part as an incentive to encourage the unemployment to look for and accept work. This briefing note tests the Government’s theory