The over-use of consultancies has corroded Australian democracy. It hollows out public sector capacity and leads to bad government decisions.

Job advertisement numbers increased 46% compared to the pre-pandemic average after the mandatory bargaining code was introduced.

The Australia Institute made a submission to the inquiry into the administration of the referendum into an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

The Australia Institute made a submission on the Criminal Code Amendment (Prohibition of Nazi Symbols) Bill 2023.

uComms conducted a survey of 816 residents across Tasmania on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evening of 4th – 5th April 2023 using self-completed automated voice polling methodologies.

Polling in Mackellar reveals a majority of voters plan to vote for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the upcoming election. uComms were commissioned on behalf of the Australia Institute to poll in the seat of Mackellar between the 9th and the 13th of March 2023. Polling brief and sample size attached.

FOI decisions cost twice as much as they used to, three in 10 FOI decisions are late and, when reviewed, one in two turns out to be wrong. A review of Australia’s FOI system and culture is urgently needed.

Key Results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians about how the Government should make appointments to government bodies. Two in three Australians (68%) think that the Government should be limited to appointing candidates who have been shortlisted by an independent selection panel, four times as many as think the Government

Few political parties have detailed policies on corporate democracy and governance, despite the major role that corporations play in our economy and political debate.

Australia’s media caters to a population of 25 million, which is about the same as the combined population of the Nordic nations. The similarities end there.

NT water policy changes are aimed at expanding irrigation, particularly cotton production. Government and industry claims that cotton expansion would create significant employment and tax payments are not supported by data. Census figures show that cotton is one of the least jobsintensive sectors in the economy. According to the Australian Tax Office, major cotton companies

The Australia Institute welcomes the modernising of Australia’s referendum machinery ahead of the referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution. To limit the impact of misinformation on the referendum debate, we recommend that the Parliament legislate truth in political advertising laws and stronger political contribution disclosures. The existing

With deceptive advertising already affecting the Tasmanian political landscape, the case for truth in political advertising laws is strong. A recent publication in a Tasmanian newspaper has further highlighted the need to stamp out misleading political advertising. Almost nine in 10 Tasmanians say Tasmania should pass truth in political advertising laws. This paper addresses the

Last year, the Australia Institute’s analysis of Commonwealth grants programs between 2013 and 2021 (the term of the most recent Coalition Government) found a clear skew towards Coalition seats at the expense of Labor seats, particularly safe Labor seats.

The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 616 South Australians about the opening of State Parliament.

The Australia Institute made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs’ inquiry into inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on problem gamblers. It consisted of a short response to the most relevant terms of reference (points (f) and (i)), as well as two longer papers, Gambling

This submission is made on behalf of the National Integrity Committee. We are an independent group of retired judges who have been advocating the need for a Federal Integrity Commission since 2017. The Committee was formed with the assistance of The Australia Institute; however, we remain an independent body acting in the public interest on a pro bono basis.

Australia is a thriving, inventive democracy – but in the face of global democratic decline we should strengthen and protect our political institutions with measured reforms.

Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about the circumstances under which the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) should be allowed to hold public hearings. The results show that most Australians say the NACC should be allowed to hold public hearings under more circumstances than the tabled legislation. More than

Received wisdom suggests that one-term governments are rare in Australia. New governments benefit from incumbency, the “sophomore surge” and perhaps a reluctance among voters to change directions twice in a short period of time. The Napthine Government entered the 2014 Victorian election the underdog, argued election analyst Antony Green, “a unusual situation for a first

The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 616 South Australians about their political priorities and their satisfaction with the Premier, Peter Malinauskas, and with the Leader of the Opposition, David Speirs.

The Australia Institute surveyed 616 adults living in South Australia between the 11th and 20th of September 2022, online through Dynata’s panel, with representative samples by gender and age.

The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology made a submission to the ACCC’s Digital Platform Services Inquiry – March 2023 Report on social media services Issues Paper. The submission highlights the lack of competition in social media services and the need for regulation of social media influencers.

Tasmania’s Integrity Commission is weak and is losing public trust. It has never held a public hearing. It cannot investigate politicians’ conduct during election campaigns, nor can it investigate corrupt conduct of third parties seeking to influence public administration. It has the second lowest per capita budget of a state/territory commission. It has only ever referred two people for prosecution, the lowest number for any state. Tasmania’s Commission needs public hearings, more publicly released reports and more funding. Its jurisdiction needs to expand to include Members of Parliament during election periods, corrupt conduct of third parties and matters covered by Parliamentary privilege.

The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 1,005 people across Australia about their views on Territory rights and voluntary assisted dying (VAD), also known as voluntary euthanasia.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about whether advertising of certain controversial products should be permitted on television. The results show that Australians agree that junk food, gambling, alcohol and tobacco advertising on TV should be banned, and more agree than disagree that ads promoting fossil fuels should be banned.

Women were 7-10 percentage points less likely to vote for the Coalition compared to men, according to Australia Institute research conducted from the evening of the May 21 federal election, and a subsequent poll taken in June 2022. Analysis of exit-polls also shows that Australians viewed the ‘treatment of women in politics’ as the second

The Australia Institute studied paid political ads published on Facebook and Instagram over a two-month period between 21 March 2022 and 20 May 2022. The analysis includes political ads published on pages administrated by candidates and parties contesting the 2022 federal election. A total of $12.5 million was spent to run 26,945 political ads on

The Australia Institute conducted a special exit poll, surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,404 Australians from 6pm Saturday May 21, about strengths and weaknesses of Liberal-National Coalition in the 2022 federal election. The results show that Australians think that the state of aged care, the treatment of women in politics and the government failing