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March 2018
Poll shows Australians want fossil fuel companies to pay for warming impacts
As Australians face sea level rise, extreme weather and increasing heatwaves polling shows most want adaptation costs to be footed by fossil fuel companies, not ratepayers. The polling also found two third (67%) of Australians (east coast states) believe state and federal governments are not doing enough to prepare for the impacts of global warming.
February 2018
FOI: Adani’s helping hand – Australian government rattle the tin in China and South Korea
FOI documents show Barnaby Joyce and Steve Ciobo’s “letter of support” for Adani’s coal project sent to the Chinese government was in response to Adani’s request “to help secure Chinese financing”. DFAT also met Korea’s Ex-Im Bank in 2016 to discuss the project, on Adani’s request. Despite an earlier FOI initially capturing “several hundreds of
Moving Targets – Barnaby Joyce, Warrego valley buybacks and amendments to the Murray Darling Basin Plan
The Minister for Water, Barnaby Joyce approved the $17m purchase of water in the Warrego valley after criticising the Labor government for the same thing, but at less than half the price. This was a deal that required amendments to the Basin Plan to later adjust Basin Plan limits between valleys, outside the parliamentary process.
It’s not the science, it’s how you use it
The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is proposing a major amendment to the Murray Darling Basin Plan based on its Northern Basin Review,1 conducted over four years. The amendment would reduce the water recovery targets for the Northern Basin from 390 GL to 320 GL per year, a reduction of 70 GL. This amendment is
January 2018
The costs of corruption
Corruption costs 5% of GDP worldwide. The cost of corruption to economies is well established, and much research exists on the impact of corruption on investment, business costs, efficient allocation of capital and economic inequality. Trust in government is at a historic low in Australia, and according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Australia
November 2017
Redirecting Adani’s NAIF loan into other industries
Stopping the NAIF loan to Adani and redirecting it to other industries makes good sense economically, environmentally and politically. The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) is a federal agency that provides concessional finance. Adani has applied for close to $1 billion in concessional finance from NAIF for its coal mine and rail project in Queensland.
October 2017
Polling – Minister Recognition (Sept 2017)
The Australia Institute surveyed 1,412 Australians about which federal Ministers they had heard of. Respondents were presented with a list of 20 Ministers, and former Minister Matthew Canavan, and were able to select as many as they had heard of, or select “None of these”. Similar questions were asked previously in surveys since March 2016,
Australian government becomes foreign finance broker for Adani?
The Australian government appears to be actively soliciting financing from foreign governments and investors towards Adani’s coal mine and rail line, projects it plans to subsidise.
Polling shows voters don’t want the Adani mine
National poll asked 1,421 Australians about the proposed Adani Carmichael coal mine. The poll, conducted online for The Australia Institute through Research Now, in late September, before revelations about Adani’s corporate record were aired on 4 Corners on the 2nd of October. More Australians oppose Adani’s mine than support it, and a huge majority oppose
September 2017
August 2017
Dark side of the boom – Victoria
What we do and don’t know about mines, closures and rehabilitation in Victoria. Little data is available to the public on the clean-up from the mining boom. State government agencies often lack basic information on how many mines are in operation, with still less published on closures and abandonments.
Substantially involved – Queensland government and Adani’s NAIF loan
Queensland government will be “substantially involved” in any loan to Adani under the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), as outlined by the Department that helped design the NAIF, in its submission to the Senate NAIF inquiry. This account has been confirmed by the Queensland government’s own submission, which notes that Queensland’s “roles and responsibilities… through
Not an independent fund? Submission to Inquiry into the governance and operation of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF)
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Economic Committee’s Inquiry into the governance and operation of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Over the past year The Australia Institute has investigated the governance and operations of the NAIF. NAIF is entrusted with $5 billion of public funds and has an important role in
Environment and Infrastructure Legislation Amendment (Stop Adani) Bill 2017
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee regarding the inquiry into the Environment and Infrastructure Legislation Amendment (Stop Adani) Bill 2017 (the Bill). Our submission notes the merits of the Bill’s proposed amendments, in relation to the Adani coal mine but also more broadly, as the new tests would apply
Submission on Regional Investment Corporation Bill 2017
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee regarding the Regional Investment Corporation Bill 2017. The Australia Institute acknowledges the merit of government financing, including on a concessional basis, to address areas of public good, promote sustainable economic development, to address market gaps, and to help with managing risk. However,
In the dark on Adani deal
The Palaszczuk government’s special royalty deal with Adani remains secret after Treasury blocked a Right to Information request. 2000 pages relating to the ‘clear’ and ‘transparent’ royalty framework were almost entirely redacted. Public servants expressed concerns about analysing the deal after it has been offered. The Queensland Treasury has refused to release the royalty subsidy
July 2017
Polling: Lyons on Fish Farming
The Australia Institute Tasmania commissioned a survey, conducted by ReachTEL, of 927 residents in the federal electorate of Lyons on the night of the 17th July 2017. Less than one in five (16.9%) voters saying the industry has a positive effect on other fishing industries, while around one third (33.5%) say it has a negative effect
Inquiry into Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation
State governments are universally supportive of resource development. They provide considerable financial support to the sector, yet receive relatively little in return. We are unaware of any example of states using the HFE system to argue against resource development.
June 2017
Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Support for Commonwealth Entities) Bill 2016 [provisions]
The Jubilee Australia Research Centre and The Australia Institute welcome the opportunity to make a submission on the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Support for Commonwealth Entities) Bill 2016. The primary purpose of Efic under the original Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Act 1991 is to “assist the development of Australian export trade.” Efic
Support for a federal ICAC [POLL]
Polling shows the majority voters across the political spectrum support a federal ICAC. Results of poll of 1,420 Australian residents: 80% of people support establishing a federal ICAC Support is highest among Coalition voters (84%) 63% of people have a low level of trust in federal parliament, only 10% have a high level of trust
It boondoggles the mind
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) is a $5 billion government fund for concessional financing to build infrastructure in northern Qld, NT and WA. The default financing mechanism is a loan. Adani has applied for a concessional loan of nearly $1 billion from the NAIF for a rail line so that it can export coal
May 2017
Queenslanders don’t want Adani subsidies: Poll
A new ReachTEL poll of 1,618 Queenslanders shows strong opposition to state and federal subsidies for the Adani coal proposal, including among LNP and One Nation voters. -Polling results in attachment below- 59% of Queenslanders oppose Federal and State taxpayers’ money being used to fund Adani’s project. 37% said they were strongly opposed and just
Almost two thirds of Australians oppose billion dollar loan subsidy to Adani: poll
New polling from The Australia Institute shows almost two thirds (64%) of Australians oppose a taxpayer-funded subsidised loan to the Adani coal mine project, as reports emerge the Queensland Government is considering an additional $320 million subsidy to Adani in the form of a ‘royalty holiday’. —For polling brief see attachement below— “Providing a billion
Dollar dreaming: A literature review of economic assessments of indigenous social investment
Developing northern Australia is a priority for the Turnbull Government, like many governments before it. The focus of these efforts is often on capital-intensive major projects such as irrigation dams or mining infrastructure. Such investments generally provide terrible returns to the taxpayer, generate few jobs and fail to ‘develop the North’. For example, the Ord
April 2017
Dark side of the boom
As the mining boom winds down and the mining clean up boom begins, mine site rehabilitation and mine abandonment are emerging as major issues for Australian communities, governments and taxpayers. All stakeholders will need information on the status of mines and their rehabilitation efforts to ensure this is carried out in a way that does
March 2017
Freedom of Information requests on Adani and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF)
Despite overseeing $5 billion in subsidised loans, the NAIF has limited staffing and internal documentation. Secrecy around Adani proposal Handful of staff to assess $5 billion worth of projects Lack of guidance documents for Investment Decisions No detailed Application and Assessment process Limited governance policies which they refused to release Secrecy about NAIF Board decisions
Adani and Governance of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility
Despite widespread coverage, little is known about the NAIF or the $1bn NAIF loan proposal for Adani’s coal rail. Lacking robust governance policies, including some required by its legislation, and poorly resourced, NAIF should reject the immense political pressure to fast-track the loan. The Australia Institute also lodged FOI requests with the NAIF. The FOI
February 2017
Dark side of the boom (NSW)
Report on what we do and don’t know about mines, closures and rehabilitation in New South Wales. Little data is available to the public on the clean-up from the mining boom. State government agencies often lack basic information on how many mines are in operation, with still less published on closures and abandonments.