The Democracy Agenda for the 48th Parliament identifies 10 major reforms that would improve parliamentary debate, government accountability and openness and the operation of integrity institutions. Three of the reforms would improve the deliberations of the 48th Parliament of Australia and make other reforms more achievable. These reforms could be agreed to at the beginning

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

Late last year, the Albanese Government introduced the Electoral Reform Bill, with plans to pass it into law less than two weeks after it became public. Negotiations with the Coalition collapsed, causing the bill to be delayed until the February 2025 sitting. The bill would increase public funding of political parties and candidates, introduce new

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.

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

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

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

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 Australians about their attitudes to future property prices.

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.

Coal royalties are a tiny part of NSW Government revenue. Over the last decade, they have averaged only 2.4% of NSW Government revenue. Coal royalties do little to fund regional communities, schools, hospitals, teachers, and nurses.

The Australia Institute has conducted an extensive study of 20 of Australia’s largest and most influential trade associations. The study assesses and compares the size, membership, political activities and members’ services offered by each association, and finds that there is tremendous variety in the types and scale of trade association activity. Most trade associations had

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

AGL and Origin Energy are charging consumers much more than large businesses and beyond any price differential that can be justified by differences in supply costs.

New report contrasts South Australia’s economic progress with continued public sector wage restraint By many measures, South Australia has enjoyed the strongest economy of any state in Australia. Its economic growth has been faster in recent years than any state – and in per capita terms, its prosperity has improved twice as fast as the

Giving and receiving gifts is one of the most cherished Christmas traditions. The polling conducted for this report shows that more than three in four Australians (77%) like buying gifts for people at Christmas. However, more than half (52%) would prefer it if people did not buy them gifts for them at Christmas. One quarter

The organisations charged with overseeing regional transition away from coal mining in NSW have a budget of $5.2 million across four organisations. By contrast, $27 million of public money was spent in 2022-23 by Coal Innovation NSW conducting and promoting research that greenwashes the coal industry, while a publicly subsidised coal industry research fund worth

Wholesale gas and electricity prices have tripled in Western Australia since 2020, when the WA government first permitted exports of domestic gas, linking the domestic and international markets. Approval for the Woodside’s proposed North West Shelf Extension will lock in this link for the long term, leading to increased costs for West Australian households and

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.

The Australia Institute’s annual Climate of the Nation report provides an insight into Australians’ understanding of, and attitudes towards, climate change and Australia’s current and proposed climate policies. Climate of the Nation 2024 shows that Australians are not only concerned about the climate crisis, they feel negative about the future in the context of climate

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 Australians between 13 and 15 November 2024 about stopping fish farming in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast where it put the endangered Maugean skate, an endangered stingray-like marine species, at risk of extinction.

In June 2024, Premier Peter Malinauskas proposed the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Bill. He says it meets his election promise to ban political donations in South Australian elections. In November, a revised version of the bill was introduced to Parliament.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Australians about the role of protest and protest protection in Australia.

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.

This year marks the sixteenth annual Go Home on Time Day (GHOTD), an initiative of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, that shines a spotlight on the maldistribution of working hours and the scale of unpaid overtime worked by Australians. The Australian labour market has remained relatively strong over 2024 although interest

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 Australians about parliamentary scrutiny of major changes to electoral laws.

The Pacific-Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is often presented as being beneficial to all parties—Australia, Pacific workers, and those workers’ home countries. In reality, the benefits are weighted in favour of Australia.

For NSW to meet its emissions reduction targets it will need a broader range of policies to encourage the uptake of EVs. New policies should help reduce the upfront cost of EVs, encourage the purchase of EVs as fleet vehicles, and require anyone who sells an EV to provide a ‘state-of-health’ report on the car’s

Hydrogen fuel cell buses are expensive, require more infrastructure, and do not deliver real-world reductions in emissions. Electrifying Australia’s buses should be a priority for state governments for air quality and climate reasons.

The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 800 NSW residents to test their knowledge about how much Westpac contributes to the running cost of the Northern NSW Rescue Helicopter, also known as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Although Westpac is the naming rights sponsor of the rescue helicopter, Westpac provides less than 10% of its

Around the world, climate change is increasing the costs of insurance and Australia is no exception.