-
Economics
- Banking & Finance
- Employment & Unemployment
- Future of Work
- Gender at Work
- Gig Economy
- Industry & Sector Policies
- Inequality
- Infrastructure & Construction
- Insecure & Precarious Work
- Labour Standards & Workers' Rights
- Macroeconomics
- Population & Migration
- Public Sector, Procurement & Privatisation
- Retirement
- Science & Technology
- Social Security & Welfare
- Tax, Spending & the Budget
- Unions & Collective Bargaining
- Wages & Entitlements
- Young Workers
- Climate & Energy
- Democracy & Accountability
- Environment
- International & Security Affairs
- Law, Society & Culture
June 2016
Taking an educated guess
A reveiw of OECD data of the relationship between living standards and cuts in company tax rates compared with the provision of better education services.
Queensland Unemployment by Electorate
While the national unemployment rate might be 5.7% this average unemployment hides important variations. The Australia Institute has assessed unemployment by regional variation by federal electorate using Department of Employment data. While the average unemployment rate in Queensland is 6.5% the unemployment rate varies across the electorates, from 4.4% in Maranoa to 10.5% in Hinkler.
Great Barrier Bleached
Research released today by The Australia Institute estimates the tourism industry impacts if severe coral bleaching continues on the Great Barrier Reef. — Full report in attachment below — Based on surveys of Chinese, UK, American and domestic tourists, results show that tourism areas adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef risk losing over 1 million
Unemployment by Electorate – South Australia
While the national unemployment rate might be 5.7% this average unemployment hides important variations. The Australia Institute has assessed unemployment by regional variation by federal electorate using Department of Employment data. The average unemployment rate in South Australia is 6.8%, but the unemployment rate varies significantly across the state, from 5.0% in Boothby to 10.6%
Public opinion on mine site rehabilitation: Briefing note
As the size of the clean up after the mining boom becomes apparent, mine site rehabilitation is becoming an important topic for many communities, regions and governments in Australia. A recent report on mine voids found that 6,050ha of voids will be left behind in NSW, most of which will fill with saline water, an
Economic Management by PM
New report from the Centre for Future Work ranks Prime Ministerships by 10 key economic performance indicators.
Nice work if you can get it: Jobs outcomes from renewables growth policies
The Australia Institute has modelled the number jobs in the clean energy sector which would be created to meet the renewable energy targets proposed by political parties this election. All parties are talking about jobs and economic opportunities in the lead up to the 2016 federal election. The report estimates the number of jobs that
Manufacturing (Still) Matters
The problems in Australia’s manufacturing sector are well-known, and many Australians have concluded that the decline in manufacturing is inevitable and universal: that high-wage countries like Australia must accept the loss of manufacturing as an economic reality. But international statistics disprove this pessimism. Worldwide, manufacturing is growing, not shrinking, including in many advanced high-wage countries.
May 2016
How will the corporate tax cut be funded?
The Coalition’s proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate will result in a significant loss of tax revenue and, in turn, will have a significant impact on the budget balance. The government has argued that the loss in tax revenue will be offset, in part, by the increase in economic activity that they believe will
A Portrait of Employment Insecurity in Australia
The insecure nature of work in Australia today can be illustrated through the following infographic (based on 2015 data published by the ABS). Australia has over 19 million residents of working age (which the ABS defines as anyone over 15). Of those, 12.5 million “participated” in the labour market (by working or actively seeking it). Participation has declined in recent years, in large part because of poor job prospects; that’s a turnaround from earlier decades when participation (especially by women) increased steadily.
Company tax cuts: An Australian gift to the US Internal Revenue Service
New research, based on US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data, shows that the proposed company tax cut would see the Australian tax system delivering billions of dollars to the US Treasury.
Good economics or populism?
April 2016
From Start to Finnish
This discussion paper outlines two different possible implementations of the Finnish model. The first alternative is a direct translation of the Finnish system and would result in a loss of revenue for the state. The second alternative is a modification of the first to estimate a revenue neutral alternative.
March 2016
Company tax cuts: Report shows lack of evidence of ‘Growth Dividend’
International and Australian data on tax rates and macroeconomic indicators provides no evidence of link between corporate tax cuts and a ‘growth dividend’. Despite widespread acceptance of the argument that cutting the corporate tax rate will boost economic growth, the economic evidence is not there according to a new report from David Richardson, Senior Research
Money doesn’t grow on trees
The Forestry Corporation of NSW (‘Forestry Corporation’ or ‘the Corporation’) is a state-owned corporation that manages more than two million hectares of commercial native and plantation forests in NSW for the primary purpose of timber production. Forestry Corporation has two operating segments; the Softwood Plantations Division, and the Hardwood Division (which is primarily engaged in
Gender Equality at Work
This report by Catalyst Australia looks at the representation of women in leadership at companies included in the ASX50. This index lists Australia’s largest publicly-owned companies that are considered leaders in their industry. This research assesses the ASX50 companies and gender equality in four areas: boards, management, policies and practices, and the gender pay gap.
February 2016
Sandstorm in a teacup: Ending sand mining and the North Stradbroke Island “economy”
North Stradbroke Island (NSI) has no “economy” of its own. Most of its residents don’t work at all, mostly by choice. Its houses are mostly owned and used by people who live and work on the mainland and come to the island for holidays and relaxation. On NSI, goods and services are sourced from the
Briefing Note: Are government plans to tackle bracket creep good for average people?
The government has spent a considerable amount of time talking about bracket creep with a particular focus on average incomes ‘creeping’ into the second top tax bracket. The government seems increasingly likely to focus any income tax cuts to prevent these average wage earners from being pushed into the second highest tax bracket. An example
Tax concessions by age
The Australia Institute has released data from modelling commissioned from NATSEM together with ATO statistics which show that young Australians are receiving little benefit from three of the budget’s most expensive tax concessions. The research shows Australians under 30 years of age receive only 6.4% of the combined tax concessions on superannuation, the capital gains
Surprise me when I’m dead: Revisiting the case for estate duties
This paper argues that an estate tax would make a useful contribution to the government’s tax armoury. The aging of the population means that the tax base is likely to be expanding well into the future. In addition the estate duty is useful because it is levied at a time when the one who accumulated the assets no
January 2016
Finland’s Fine Example
This paper examines how the Finnish model of progressive traffic fines could work in Australia, and estimates the effect on individuals at different income levels.
Capital Gains Tax – Main Residence Exemption
The largest tax concession in Australia is the capital gains tax (CGT) exemption for themain residence. Last year it cost the budget $46 billion and is predicted to cost the budget $189 billion over the next four years. Each year the cost of the CGT exemption on for the main residence costs the federal budget more than
December 2015
Polling: Company Tax
ReachTEL conducted a survey of 738 residents across the federal electorate of Dickson, 747 residents across the federal electorate of New England, and 762 residents across the federal electorate of Page during the evining of 17th December 2015. Results in attachment below.
Revenue Polling – December 2015
There is little support in blue-ribbon Coalition electorates for using any extra revenue raised from a 15 per cent GST to cut company taxes, new polling shows. Reducing company tax rates was by far the least popular option when voters in four coalition-held electorates were asked to choose between four alternative ways to use extra revenue if the GST rate is lifted to