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Economics
- Banking & Finance
- Employment & Unemployment
- Future of Work
- Gender at Work
- Gig Economy
- Industry & Sector Policies
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- Labour Standards & Workers' Rights
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- Public Sector, Procurement & Privatisation
- Retirement
- Science & Technology
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- Tax, Spending & the Budget
- Unions & Collective Bargaining
- Wages & Entitlements
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- Environment
- International & Security Affairs
- Law, Society & Culture
April 2025
Reforming university governance in Australia
The university sector is in a governance crisis, fuelled by its lack of accountability to staff, students, federal or state governments. Australia needs a plan to make the sector accountable to the federal government and make university education and research a public service.
Elective spending at Australian universities
Universities spend vast sums on consultants, advertising, and travel. Reducing these expenses could have prevented the deep cuts that some of these same universities have made to their staff and courses in recent years.
Where do journalists live?
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia has 8,469 journalists, but where do they actually live? Which communities have their stories told firsthand while others are told by outsiders?
Working from Home, Not a Problem
More than one in three workers in Australia usually work from home at least some of the week. Working from home has become an established working arrangement for many employees in jobs where it is possible to work remotely. Yet, there is strong opposition from some employers to working from home and regular reports of
Teenage gambling in Australia
Australians gamble more than any another nation. Gambling starts well before the age of 18 – almost one in three (30%) 12-17-year-olds gamble. This increases to almost half (46%) of 18-19-year-olds, and these habits persist into adulthood. By highlighting the high rates of gambling among young Australians, this paper shows the need for greater regulations
Newspaper competition in Australia
The state of print news competition in Australia is dire, and local and regional news is slowly dying.
Medicine price comparison between Australia and the United States
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme helps keeps the prices Australians pay for medicine low. In the USA, the pharmaceutical industry is calling on the Trump administration to put retaliatory tariffs on Australia as a way of pressuring Australia to make changes to the PBS so that it can make more money. This would make medicines more
March 2025
Red Imported Fire Ants and Australian electorates
Red Imported Fire Ants have the potential to cause significant environmental, social and economic damage.
Polling – Salmon farming and environment in Tasmania
The Australia Institute commissioned uComms, which surveyed 860 Australians living in Sydney between 17 and 18 March 2025 on environmental issues and salmon farming in Tasmania. Results show that: 61% support stopping salmon farming in areas where it is putting the endangered Maugean skate at risk of extinction; more than twice as many who oppose
Budget briefing paper 2025-2026
The Centre for Future Work’s research team has analysed the Commonwealth Government’s budget. As expected with a Federal election looming, the budget is not a horror one of austerity. However, the 2025-2026 budget is characterised by the absence of any significant initiatives. There is very little in this budget that is new other than the
Submission: A higher purpose
The decades-long push to make Australia’s universities more ‘business like’ has had scandalous consequences. The remedy is to make university governance more transparent, democratic, and accountable. The most effective way to enact this change would be to amend the establishing Acts that give universities their public mandate.
Media coverage of AEMO’s Gas Statement of Opportunities
The annual release of AEMO’s Gas Statement of Opportunities invariably triggers coverage suggesting that Australia, one of the world’s biggest gas producers, is about to run short of gas.
The relevance of Commonwealth of Australia v. Yunupingu to the ACT
With the High Court of Australia set to hand down a judgement in the matter of Commonwealth of Australia v. Yunupingu (on behalf of the Gumatj Clan or Estate Group) & Ors [2023], The Australia Institute is pleased to publish this analysis by long-time Institute contributor Dr Ed Wensing.
February 2025
Briefing Paper: Restoring public sector capability through investment in public service employees
The Australian Public Service (APS) is responsible for delivering some of the most crucial social services to all Australians. The APS workforce includes employees who deliver frontline services like in Medicare and Centrelink, those who administer the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and those who assist service personnel and veterans via Veterans Affairs. These are
Wealth inequality by asset types. What’s driving wealth inequality?
Wealth inequality over the past 20 years has progressively become worse in Australia.
January 2025
Gun Control in Australia
Despite Australia’s significant gun reforms following the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, there are now over four million guns owned by civilians nationwide — 25% higher than in 1996. This equates to one firearm for every seven Australians. Guns are widespread in metropolitan and suburban areas, with one in three firearms in NSW located in major cities.
Polling – Gun control in Australia
The results show that: Seven in ten Australians (70%) think gun laws should make it harder to access a gun. A majority of voters for all political parties and candidates think gun laws should make it harder to access a gun. Three in five Australians (59%) think donations from the gun lobby to politicians and
Life Savers Without Life Savings
Firefighters and paramedics save lives, protect us from the ravages of fire, and ensure the sick and injured receive the medical treatment they need. However, after a working life protecting others, these emergency workers face substantial risk of having inadequate retirement incomes. Firefighters and paramedics are regularly compelled to retire early due to particular barriers
December 2024
Polling – Hopes for property prices
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 Australians about their attitudes to future property prices.
Solid Foundations, Bright Future
New South Wales has one of the most prosperous and productive economies in Australia, with a diverse base of economic activity and strong labour market. However, years of austerity have hollowed out its public sector, creating one of the proportionally smallest state public sectors in the country in terms of both economic activity and employment.
Submission to Industrial Relations Victoria Inquiry on Restricting Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in Workplace Sexual Harassment Cases
It is generally reported that NDAs can benefit victim-survivors by providing anonymity and privacy where that is the victim-survivor’s choice. However, it is also reported that power imbalances between victim-survivors on the one hand and perpetrators and employers/organisation on the other have left workers feeling they had little choice but to sign NDAs. NDAs have
Vulnerability to extreme heat
Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related illness and death in all parts of Australia, except Tasmania. Older, poorer, and sicker people are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. This report identifies the locations around Australia in which the greatest number of vulnerable people will be affected by extreme heat. Targeting these areas for support will ensure the greatest number of vulnerable people are helped during periods of extreme heat.
November 2024
Polling – Right to protest
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Australians about the role of protest and protest protection in Australia.
Grow your own – 2024
Most Australians grow food, or are interested in doing so. Younger people are most likely to express interest in growing, but often lack the space or skills required. This demonstrates the need for gardening programs and investment in community gardens.
University is expensive
In less than 20 years, the average HECS/HELP debt for people in their 20s has more than doubled.
October 2024
Reducing poverty in retirement
Australia has a much higher poverty rate among people aged over 65 than Sweden and Norway. Unlike Australia, Sweden and Norway’s robust public pension systems ensure retirement security. Australia could reduce levels of poverty in retirement by increasing spending on the Age Pension. This could be funded by reducing the inequitable tax concessions on superannuation given to high income earners.
Doing it Tough
This report documents the results of a recent survey of Australian adults regarding their experience of the cost of living crisis. Australian workers are doing it tough. Costs are increasing faster than wages and incomes. Those with less are doing it the toughest.
Refining Fines
Traffic fines in Australia hit low-income earners disproportionally hard. One potential solution to this problem is traffic fines that are proportional to the income of the offender. This discussion paper outlines one way of applying this model – drawn from Finland –to Australia, including a breakdown for states.
Leaving Money on the Table: Foregone Economic Gains from Continued SRS Underfunding
The Commonwealth government’s current offer to fund public schools to just 22.5% of the agreed Schooling Resource Standard would leave much of the current school funding shortfall unrepaired. This would squander many of the economic benefits that would otherwise result from full public school funding. Based on disaggregation of previous estimates of the economic benefits generated by stronger school funding and hence scholastic outcomes, we estimate the failure to fulfil the 25% Commonwealth contribution required for full SRS funding would ultimately forego GDP gains of $3.5 to $5 billion per year, and impose net fiscal costs on government (all levels) of $0.6 to $1.5 billion per year.
Submission: Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system
A submission to the inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system, summarising an earlier Australia Institute report.