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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

YouGov conducted a national survey of 1,522 voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 27 June and 3 July 2025, using an online survey polling methodology.

The Chinese foreign policy establishment appear determined to resist Trump’s trade offensive. They have asserted China’s position on Taiwan through both direct pressure and diplomacy, and sought to maintain a productive though defined partnership with Russia as well as amiable working relationships with the rest of Europe. They espoused a vision for a multipolar world organised through multilateral international institutions that better reflect China’s status.

Are Senior Military Commanders Liable and Culpable?

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,009 Australians about President Donald Trump, security and the US–Australian alliance. The results show that: • Three in 10 Australians (31%) think Donald Trump is the greatest threat to world peace, more than chose Vladimir Putin (27%) or Xi Jinping (27%). • Most women (56%) feel

The January 2025 ceasefire notwithstanding, the outlook for Palestinians remains bleak.

This brief provides an overview of recent commentary from Chinese official and state-affiliated sources about China’s foreign policy.

Australia has long-running challenges in relation to liquid fuel security and transport emissions. In response to the “energy security emergency” arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency published a 10-point plan to improve fuel security by cutting oil use by 6% within four months. Two years later, Australian governments have implemented none of the IEA’s recommendations.

The Australia-America economic relationship is one of the world’s most consequential relationships, worth over $2 trillion, yet few understand its depth and scale.

The Australian Government has proposed that Australia host the 2026 UN Climate Conference, in “partnership” with Pacific nations.

Key Results: The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about the plan to purchase nuclear-powered submarines. The results show that Australians are not clear about how the submarine program should be funded. Respondents were told that the Albanese Government and the Dutton Opposition have committed to building nuclear submarines, at an

The 2021 AUKUS announcement came with the promise of a sovereign Australian fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Nearly 18 months on, however, it remains unclear if these submarines will ever be delivered—or if Australia actually needs them.

Australia can contribute significantly to democracy, security and prosperity in our region by addressing the region’s most existential threat, climate change, and by better governing our own resource sector.

The proposal that Australia should acquire nuclear-powered submarines raises a host of problems so inordinately tricky that their solutions are bound to be incomplete and highly fluid. “Wicked” problems such as these generate messy solutions, and their resolution—insofar as complete resolution is possible—requires the understanding of relationships between intersecting issues. This paper endeavours to identify

The review’s Terms of Reference do not specifically address the underlying principles of Australia’s strategic policy. However, its intentions—to examine force disposition, preparedness, strategy and associated investments—themselves require some reaffirmation of the basic principles of Australia’s strategic policy. A strategic policy that places a premium on expeditionary deployment of Australian forces in pursuit of Australia’s strategic interests will invoke quite different decisions on force structure and associated force posture than would a strategic policy that places a clear emphasis on the ability to act in the direct defence of Australia.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians and 1,002 Taiwanese about their countries and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

As tensions in the Pacific and war in Europe continue to escalate, Australia could play an important global role in reducing the spread and threat of nuclear weapons at an important upcoming conference in New York, according to a new research report. The Australian Government has been urged to adopt 4 key policy goals to

Australia has never hosted a United Nations climate conference (COP) and the recent proposal from the Labor Party to bid for the 2024 COP in partnership with the Pacific could shift Australia’s reputation from climate laggard to regional leader. This shift should be accompanied by substantive changes to Australia’s climate policy, including on Australia’s climate

Quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted on large samples of Twitter data collected following two points of tension in the Australia-China relationship in 2020 – Australia’s call for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, and a Chinese Government representative’s retweet of an image of an Australian solidier killing an Afghan child. There was

This report examines the policies of the largest Australian superannuation funds, highlighting their investments in companies involved in nuclear weapons development, production and maintenance (nuclear weapons companies).

The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, regarding a bill that would ensure decisions for Australia to go to war go through parliament. It is clear that there is a growing tendency on the part of democracies that are aligned with Australia for their national Executives

Australia’s decision to join with the United States and the United Kingdom to build Australian long-range nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) has little to do with the defence of Australia. The aim is to make possible an Australian contribution to US battle plans against China which that country will view as profoundly threatening with implications also for