The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Standing Committee on the Integrity Commission and Statutory Office Holders’ Inquiry into the operation of the 2024 ACT Election and Electoral Act 1992.

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

The costs of climate change are increasing rapidly, while local government revenues grow slowly. Climate costs will become increasingly onerous on local government unless new revenue sources are created, such as a climate disaster levy on fossil fuel companies.

Scholarships, grants and other links between Australian universities and fossil fuel industries

MPs receive $1.2 million worth of entitlements each year, and Senators $1.1 million. Over the course of an election cycle, these entitlements are worth at least $3.6 million per MP and $3.2 million per Senator. These resources can be used to boost re-election chances, creating barriers to entry for challengers that help explain why about 9 in 10 incumbents get re-elected.

Australia Institute research has long documented the comprehensive failure of government policies to prioritise the interests of Australians over multinational gas exporters. Our view is that the incremental technocratic policies of successive governments to solve these issues have failed, and that a fresh approach is needed. The ACTU’s proposal for a 25% tax on gas

Australia taxes wealth very lightly. Imposing a 2% wealth tax on those with net assets over $5 million, an inheritance tax on large estates, and scrapping the CGT discount could raise $70 billion per year.

Our submission focuses primarily on the role tax reform should play in the productivity agenda. Tax is an essential element of promoting productivity, primarily because: Additional revenue is required to make productivity-enhancing investments in education, health, infrastructure and other sectors of the economy; Existing tax settings allow for (and in some ways facilitate) growing inequality,

The upcoming roundtable appears set to ignore climate change and its impact on the economy. Climate change is already driving up the cost-of-living, and this is only likely to get worse. Climate change will substantially harm productivity, particularly if action is not taken to mitigate its extent and adapt to its impacts.

Productivity might be the word on everyone’s lips in the lead up to the Albanese Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable  however weak productivity isn’t the cause of many of the problems experience by workers in Australia today nor is increasing productivity the solution. Rapid inflation after the pandemic, combined with rising interest rates and slow wage

This Briefing Paper recommends that the new Tasmanian Parliament address five major problems with the Tasmanian Integrity Commission. Poor funding Limitations caused by the privilege against self-incrimination Rarely publishing reports and never holding public hearings Gaps in jurisdiction, like third parties seeking to corruptly influence public officials Commissioners not limited to one term in office

The use of hunting as a conservation method, which the Bill proposes, has been generally unsuccessful and sometimes counterproductive. Invasive species policy requires a level of care and rigour that is not reflected in the proposed approach. Additionally, the Bill risks undermining Australian gun control through establishing a “right to hunt” in NSW.

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. Voters were asked if they supported or opposed amending the law to require all postal vote applications to be sent directly to the Australian Electoral Commission, rather than

Until the mid-2010s, wholesale gas prices in eastern Australia were low.

Claims that Australia faces a productivity crisis are overblown. Weak productivity didn’t cause the current problems facing Australian workers (falling real wages, high interest rates, unaffordability of essentials like housing and energy). Nor will higher productivity fix these problems. Faith that higher productivity will automatically trickle down, to be shared by all workers, is unfounded.

On July 2, 2025, the Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss, wrote to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Murray Watt. The letter follows the minister’s provisional approval of the expansion of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas export operation in Western Australia, asking that he make public the conditions imposed on

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.

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.

A Whistleblower Protection Authority is a crucial missing piece in Australia’s anti-corruption laws, and it enjoys the support of 84% of Australians.

YouGov conducted a survey of 842 Tasmanian voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 12 and 16 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a broad-based tax of 10% on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia. Revenue from the GST was supposed to grow over time, so that state and territory governments would have a reliable income source to help them fund the important services they provide

YouGov conducted a survey of 842 Tasmanian voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 12 and 16 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. These are the results on potential revenue sources for Tasmania. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements. The

The deterioration of the Tasmanian budget means that net debt is expected to reach $10 billion by 2027-28. This paper outlines how the state could increase revenue by auctioning salmon licences, reforming gambling taxes, increasing mineral royalties, and increasing motor vehicle stamp duties and registration fees. If changes to the GST were also made, $11.4

YouGov conducted a survey of 842 Tasmanian voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 12 and 16 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements. The margin of error on the effective sample size is 4.2%.

This submission follows the Productivity Commission’s request for submissions on cutting the company tax. We advance a number of reasons why the company tax should not be cut. We also point out problems with any company tax cut proposal including that the lower tax would mean lower tax refunds for the owners of the company

YouGov conducted a national survey of 1,535 voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 6 and 11 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements. The margin of error on the effective sample size is 3.2%.

Over the past 10 years $125 billion worth of liquified natural gas was exported from Gladstone in Queensland.

Climate change is already here and getting worse, causing increasingly damaging disasters, and pushing insurance prices higher.

YouGov conducted a national survey of 1,500 voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 24 and 29 April 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements. The margin of error on the effective sample size is 3.27%.

Gas exports from WA cause more greenhouse gas emissions than 153 individual countries.