July 8, 2014

Income and wealth inequality in Australia Inequality between those with the most and those with the least is rising in Australia. Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but there are many people...

by David Richardson and Richard Denniss

June 11, 2014

Advance Australia Fair? What to do about growing inequality in Australia This paper is written in partnership with Australia21. Australia has a long and proud tradition of equality, but in recent decades the benefits of strong economic growth...

by Bob Douglas, Sharon Friel, Richard Denniss and David Morawetz

April 1, 2014

SUBMISSION: Senate inquiry into affordable housing The Australia Institute's submission addresses the effect of policies designed to encourage home ownership and residential property investment. More broadly this submission...

by Molly Johnson and David Baker

March 29, 2013

Super for some Superannuation is unlike any other product in Australia. There is no other product that all employees are forced to spend nine per cent of their income buying. In fact, the...

by Richard Denniss

February 6, 2013

Corporate power in Australia Some industries have far more political influence than others, and some political systems are more susceptible to the influence of industries than others. In Australia, the...

by Richard Denniss and David Richardson

August 15, 2012

Can the taxpayer afford self-funded retirement? Australian taxpayers contributed $30.2 billion to the private accounts of that portion of the population with superannuation 2011-12. By 2015-16 this sum is projected by...

by Richard Denniss and David Richardson

April 23, 2012

Are unemployment benefits adequate in Australia? The role of unemployment benefits is to insulate people from the severe financial hardship of going to work one day and discovering that they no longer have a job. Few...

by Richard Denniss and David Baker

March 20, 2012

Justice for all In order to receive fair treatment through the legal system, it is often necessary to seek assistance from a lawyer. This can be an expensive exercise, depending on the...

by Richard Denniss, Josh Fear and Emily Millane

January 1, 2012

Submission to the ACTU Inquiry: Secure jobs, better future The scope of the Inquiry is broad. In our submission we have chosen to focus on three areas of policy interest, drawing on our work over the past four years....

The Australia Institute

October 2, 2011

What Price Dignity? It is often said that to retire with dignity in Australia a couple would need a retirement income of around $50,000 per year. In order to help Australians achieve such...

by Richard Denniss and David Baker

October 11, 2010

Removing poverty traps in the tax transfer system The Australian tax-transfer system targets those in need and, as a consequence, is prone to poverty traps, areas where higher private income leads to very little gain in...

by David Ingles

October 25, 2009

Tax equity: Reforming capital gains taxation in Australia Report analysing Australian tax treatments. The paper concludes with a number of suggestions for reform, principally: · eliminating the 50 per cent discount · incorporating...

by David Ingles

July 2, 2009

Equality Speaks

by Jo-anne Schofield, Julian Disney, Gerard Thomas, Melissa Coad, Lyndsay Connors, Shannon O'Keeffe, Rod Pickette, Andrew Thomas, Larissa Behrendt, Zoë Morrison, Rae Cooper, Marian Baird, Andrew Hollows, Tony Keenan, Brigid van Wanrooy, Frank Stilwell, David Primrose and Dianne Hiles

February 24, 2009

The great superannuation tax concession rort Superannuation tax concessions have long been a bone of contention for the welfare sector, which views them as redistributing scarce resources away from low-income earners...

by David Ingles

October 20, 2007

The State of the Australian Middle Class There is a widespread view that the middle class in Australia is doing it tough, that they are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a decent standard of living and...

by Clive Hamilton, Christian Downie and Yi-Hua Lu

July 1, 2006

School Vouchers: An evaluation of their impact on education outcomes There has been a growing push for the Federal Government to introduce a universal school voucher scheme that results in government funding being provided on a per student...

by Andrew Macintosh

April 1, 2006

Equality of Opportunity in Australia: Myth and reality Public policy debate about equality of opportunity in Australia currently centres around the distribution of disposable incomes and the role played by taxes and transfers....

by Fred Argy

March 1, 2005

Who benefits from private health insurance in Australia? The private health care rebate of 30% costs the government $2.5b per year. Only 24% of households under $25,000 per year have private health care, this increases to 69% for...

by Richard Denniss

January 1, 2005

Making Fines Fairer A speeding fine of $125 represent one third of the weekly pay for those who make $20,000 per annum, while it only makes up 6% for someone making $100,000 per annum. This...

by Clive Hamilton

May 1, 2004

Lost children: Condemning children to long-term disadvantage Unpublished ABS data shows that 23,000 Australian children from low and middle income families are being priced out of child care:12,000 children from low income families...

by Michael Flood

October 1, 2001

How fair is health spending? The distribution of tax subsidies for health in Australia This paper shows that instead of encouraging private provision, concessions for private health insurance have been a financial windfall for wealthy households. The existing...

by Julie Smith

September 1, 1999

Quality of Life in Australia: An analysis of public perceptions This study uses a survey of 1200 Australians to investigate public perceptions of quality of life in Australia. It contradicts recent claims of a new mood of optimism in...

by Richard Eckersley

September 1, 1999

Public Expenditure on Services for Indigenous People: Education, Employment, Health and Housing This study comprises a comprehensive assessment of public spending on education, employment, health and housing services for indigenous Australians compared with...

by Max Neutze, Will Sanders, 2 and Giff Jones

March 26, 1999

Joint Submission to the Senate Select Committee On a New Tax System Submission presented jointly the Australia Institute, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Medical Association to the Senate Committee...

The Australia Institute

April 1, 1998

Tax Reform, the GST and Women A briefing to delegates at the Bonn climate change negotiations...

by Julie Smith

September 1, 1997

The Genuine Progress Indicator for Australia It has long been recognised that GDP growth does not correlate well with changes in social welfare, i.e. national well-being. The GPI adjusts GDP by 23 factors that reflect...

by Clive Hamilton and Hugh Saddler (1943 - 2023)

May 4, 1994

“Trash” fights back The Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG, President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal and Chairman of the Executive of the International Commission of Jurists and...

by Michael Kirby and Max Neutze

The Australia Institute

Research // Inequality

Latest Resources

Income and wealth inequality in Australia Inequality between those with the most and those with the least is rising in Australia. Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but there are many people...

Advance Australia Fair? What to do about growing inequality in Australia This paper is written in partnership with Australia21. Australia has a long and proud tradition of equality, but in recent decades the benefits of strong economic growth...

SUBMISSION: Senate inquiry into affordable housing The Australia Institute's submission addresses the effect of policies designed to encourage home ownership and residential property investment. More broadly this submission...

Super for some Superannuation is unlike any other product in Australia. There is no other product that all employees are forced to spend nine per cent of their income buying. In fact, the...

Corporate power in Australia Some industries have far more political influence than others, and some political systems are more susceptible to the influence of industries than others. In Australia, the...

Can the taxpayer afford self-funded retirement? Australian taxpayers contributed $30.2 billion to the private accounts of that portion of the population with superannuation 2011-12. By 2015-16 this sum is projected by...

Are unemployment benefits adequate in Australia? The role of unemployment benefits is to insulate people from the severe financial hardship of going to work one day and discovering that they no longer have a job. Few...

Justice for all In order to receive fair treatment through the legal system, it is often necessary to seek assistance from a lawyer. This can be an expensive exercise, depending on the...

Submission to the ACTU Inquiry: Secure jobs, better future The scope of the Inquiry is broad. In our submission we have chosen to focus on three areas of policy interest, drawing on our work over the past four years....

What Price Dignity? It is often said that to retire with dignity in Australia a couple would need a retirement income of around $50,000 per year. In order to help Australians achieve such...

Removing poverty traps in the tax transfer system The Australian tax-transfer system targets those in need and, as a consequence, is prone to poverty traps, areas where higher private income leads to very little gain in...

Tax equity: Reforming capital gains taxation in Australia Report analysing Australian tax treatments. The paper concludes with a number of suggestions for reform, principally: · eliminating the 50 per cent discount · incorporating...

Equality Speaks

The great superannuation tax concession rort Superannuation tax concessions have long been a bone of contention for the welfare sector, which views them as redistributing scarce resources away from low-income earners...

The State of the Australian Middle Class There is a widespread view that the middle class in Australia is doing it tough, that they are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a decent standard of living and...

School Vouchers: An evaluation of their impact on education outcomes There has been a growing push for the Federal Government to introduce a universal school voucher scheme that results in government funding being provided on a per student...

Equality of Opportunity in Australia: Myth and reality Public policy debate about equality of opportunity in Australia currently centres around the distribution of disposable incomes and the role played by taxes and transfers....

Who benefits from private health insurance in Australia? The private health care rebate of 30% costs the government $2.5b per year. Only 24% of households under $25,000 per year have private health care, this increases to 69% for...

Making Fines Fairer A speeding fine of $125 represent one third of the weekly pay for those who make $20,000 per annum, while it only makes up 6% for someone making $100,000 per annum. This...

Lost children: Condemning children to long-term disadvantage Unpublished ABS data shows that 23,000 Australian children from low and middle income families are being priced out of child care:12,000 children from low income families...

How fair is health spending? The distribution of tax subsidies for health in Australia This paper shows that instead of encouraging private provision, concessions for private health insurance have been a financial windfall for wealthy households. The existing...

Quality of Life in Australia: An analysis of public perceptions This study uses a survey of 1200 Australians to investigate public perceptions of quality of life in Australia. It contradicts recent claims of a new mood of optimism in...

Public Expenditure on Services for Indigenous People: Education, Employment, Health and Housing This study comprises a comprehensive assessment of public spending on education, employment, health and housing services for indigenous Australians compared with...

Joint Submission to the Senate Select Committee On a New Tax System Submission presented jointly the Australia Institute, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Medical Association to the Senate Committee...

Tax Reform, the GST and Women A briefing to delegates at the Bonn climate change negotiations...

The Genuine Progress Indicator for Australia It has long been recognised that GDP growth does not correlate well with changes in social welfare, i.e. national well-being. The GPI adjusts GDP by 23 factors that reflect...

“Trash” fights back The Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG, President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal and Chairman of the Executive of the International Commission of Jurists and...

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