Culture is an inescapable part of what it means to be human. We can no more imagine a life without the arts than we can imagine a life without language, custom, or ritual. Australia is home to the oldest continuing cultural traditions on the planet, and some of the world’s most renowned actors, musicians and

Key Findings: More than three-quarters of Australians (77%) agree with making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for workers in contact with vulnerable demographics, such as aged care workers. Only 13% disagree. One in two Australians (50%) strongly agree with making the vaccine mandatory for certain workers. Coalition (84%) and Labor (83%) voters are the most likely

Woodside and BHP’s Scarborough to Pluto LNG project is the most polluting fossil fuel project currently proposed in Australia. It would result in annual carbon pollution equal to over 15 new coal fired power stations, and more pollution than the proposed Adani coal mine. The direct pollution from this project would increase WA’s total emissions

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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

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

This paper examines claims by Google and its consultants that the company generates massive economic benefits for Australia—$39 billion for business and $14 billion for consumers. These claims are massively overstated and, as might be expected, negative aspects of Google’s practices are not acknowledged.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about the policies and behaviour of social media companies.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about reports that Google is conducting an “experiment” where it removes Australian news content from some users’ search results.

Australia’s labour market experienced unprecedented volatility during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting recession. In the first part of the year, employment declined faster and more deeply than in any previous economic downturn, as workplaces were closed to control the spread of infection. Then, after May, employment rebounded strongly. The subsequent recovery has

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,018 Australians about their perceptions of the year 2020. Australians were presented with a list of 11 words or phrases and asked which best describes 2020. “Unprecedented” was the single most popular choice, chosen by 19%. “Unprecedented” was followed by “Terrible” (14%), “Tragic” (12%) and “Exhausting”

The Australia Institute surveyed a sample of 1,038 New South Wales residents about their position on whether voluntary assisted dying (VAD) should be available to people with terminal illnesses who are experiencing unrelievable suffering and who ask to die.

The Australia Institute surveyed nationally representative samples of over 1,000 Australians each month from August about what they think the most important national political issue is right now. In every month, more Australians identified the economy as the most important national political issue than any other issue (between 37% and 48%). Health was second-most likely

A comparison of the impact on employment of child care expenditure and income tax cuts of an equivalent net cost to the budget. The clear superiority of childcare expenditure in stimulating economic activity reflects the concentration of the benefit on a cohort with much greater capacity for labour supply response.

The Centre for Responsible Technology made a submission to the consultation process on a digital industry code on disinformation, run by industry group DIGI.

The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade regarding the Defence Legislation Amendment (Enhancement of Defence Force Response to Emergencies) Bill 2020.

Bringing forward stage 2 of the tax cuts is ineffective stimulus. Up to 12 times as many jobs could be created if an equivalent amount of money was spent on labour intensive industries.