Research
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Economics
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- Employment & Unemployment
- Future of Work
- Gender at Work
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August 2023
The Tip of the Iceberg: Measuring unemployment in Australia
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decisions on interest rate increases rely on the concept of balancing inflation and unemployment.
Get Your Skates On: Tasmania’s Next State of the Environment Report
Tasmania has not published a State of the Environment Report since 2009. Nationally, alarming declines of natural and cultural values are underway. Without a state-focused analysis, Tasmanians are in the dark about the scale and detail of concerns and government decision-makers are flying blind.
Polling – Consultancies, donation reform, and trusted policy advice
The Australia Institute surveyed a sample of 1,501 Australians about their attitudes towards consultancies, donation reform, and who they trust to provide policy advice to the government. The results show that: Three in every four Australians (74%) support banning political donations from organisations that receive funding from government contracts, including 80% of Coalition voters, 70%
Emissions from the Tamboran NT LNG facility
The NT LNG facility aims to produce up 20 million tonnes of LNG per year for export using gas fracked from the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin.
Submission: Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures Bill 2023
A submission made by the Australia Institute to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023.
Money Talks: The Australia-America Economic Relationship – Where From and Where To
The Australia-America economic relationship is one of the world’s most consequential relationships, worth over $2 trillion, yet few understand its depth and scale.
Submission: Northern Territory mining royalty consultation
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Northern Territory Government’s Consultation for designing an ad valorem mineral royalty scheme. In our view, It is unclear that there is a need to change the NT mining royalty system. Following reforms in 2018, royalty revenue has increased substantially, and mining exploration investment is at a 10-year
Principles for fair political finance reform
Constructive and non-partisan political finance reform could improve trust in politics and reduce the influence of vested interests.
But if political finance reform is done poorly, it could make Australian elections less fair, and conceal rather than expose the undue influence moneyed interests enjoy over our politicians and parties.
Submission on the sea dumping and carbon capture and storage bill 2023
This Bill appears primarily aimed at facilitating the Santos Barossa Project, its related Bayu-Undan carbon capture and storage (CCS) project and other fossil fuel projects off Australia’s northern shores. CCS is a technology that has failed for decades, a fact omitted by public agency submissions relating to this Bill.
Manufacturing the Energy Revolution
Australia needs to respond quickly to powerful new incentives for sustainable manufacturing now on offer in the U.S. and several other industrial countries, or risk being cut out of lucrative new markets for manufactured products linked to renewable energy systems.
Royal Commissions and inquiries prompted by ABC journalism
Public interest journalism from the ABC has placed scrutiny on issues that governments would prefer to ignore, prompting numerous government inquiries and investigations – what Josh Taylor, writing in Crikey, called “The Four Corners effect”.
July 2023
Submission: No ‘Responsible AI’ without transparency and accountability
The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology made a submission to the Federal Government’s consultation on Safe and responsible AI (artificial intelligence) in Australia. To make AI safer and more responsible, the Australia Institute recommends:
Submission: Senate inquiry into greenwashing
The Australia Institute made a submission to the senate inquiry into greenwashing.
Public Attitudes on Issues in Higher Education
Stronger public universities are vital to the success of dynamic, innovative economies, and more inclusive labour markets. But decades of fiscal restraint and corporatization have eroded the democratic governance and equitable delivery of public higher education in Australia. There are widespread concerns among both university staff and the broader Australian community regarding many higher education issues: including funding, governance, the insecurity of work in universities, the quality of education, and the affordability of attending university.
Polling – Advertising in SA Sports
The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 604 South Australians about advertising at sporting events and in sporting broadcasts. Respondents were told that promoting tobacco products in sport is banned in South Australia and were asked whether they agree or disagree with a policy of extending that ban to prohibit the advertising of other goods and services.
June 2023
Little Authority
This is the Australia Institute’s response to the Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) Issues Paper Setting tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets. We are concerned that both the potential of this review and the quality of advice the CCA provides to government in general are undermined by two fundamental problems:
Polling: PwC & New Government Contracts
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitude toward the Federal Government providing new work to the consulting firm PwC. The results show that: • Four in five Australians (79%) think that PwC should be banned from receiving new government work, while just 2% think there should not be
A Fair COP31
The Australian Government has proposed that Australia host the 2026 UN Climate Conference, in “partnership” with Pacific nations.
Advantages of Incumbency
Sitting politicians receive millions in public funding that support re-election.
Off the hook?
After decades of ignoring evidence of overfishing, the Tasmanian Government is finally playing catch-up on the state’s depleted fish stocks, resetting fishery rules in the context of out-of-date legislation and the absence of relevant policies.
Nature Repair Market submission: Analysis of PwC’s report ‘A Nature-positive Australia’
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications’ inquiry into the Nature Repair Market Bill 2023. The Australian Government has provided no economic or environmental justification for the proposed Nature Repair Market (NRM). Instead, it has repeatedly referred to, and quoted figures from, a report by consultants PwC
Crying fowl
Native bird hunting benefits few South Australians and imposes costs on many. Only 5% have ever shot ducks or quail, and of those people, just 40% intend to do so again. 76% of South Australians support a ban, including 48% who “strongly” support the idea. The economic impact of ending native bird hunting would be
May 2023
Unacceptable Risks
The gigification of care is creating insecure work, undermining gender inequality and damaging workforce sustainability.
Submission: Tasmanian Waters, Commonwealth Problems
The South-east Commonwealth Marine Parks Network is a patchwork of poor protection that provides minimal conservation benefits.
Lake Vermont-Meadowbrook Coal Mine Extension
The economic assessment of the Lake Vermont project heavily understates its costs and overstates its benefits. At the USA Environmental Protection Agency’s central social cost of carbon estimate, the cost of the direct emissions alone is $4.1 billion, greater than the estimated royalty revenue – $1.1 billion.
Polling – Government Use of Consultants
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitudes towards the Federal Government’s use of external consultants. The results show that: Four in five Australians (79%) agree that the public service should have the skills and capacity to do work currently outsourced to consultants. Three in four Australians (72%) think
The New Safeguard Mechanism and the Santos Barossa Gas Project
The Safeguard Mechanism now requires stronger action to cut pollution from gas projects including full abatement of reservoir emissions.
Submission: Administrative review body reform
The Australia Institute made a submission to the consultation on Administrative Review Reform.
Commonwealth Budget 2023-24
The Commonwealth government’s 2023-24 budget reveals a progressive government seeking to help lower paid workers and those struggling to pay bills, support public health care, and pursue investments towards a net zero economy. But it is very much a first step, and leaves much more work to be done to repair past harms done to workers, low-income Australians, public services and infrastructure, and the environment.
Submission: Boggabri Coal Mine, Modification 8 Proposal
The Australia Institute made a submission on the Boggabri coal mine’s latest expansion proposal.