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May 2022
Between Sense and Nonsense
The electoral pendulum performs no better than an alternative method, the cube law, in predicting the overall result of an election. In its common, alternative use as tool to predict individual seat changes, it is successful less than half of the time.
Polling – What is ‘clean hydrogen’?
The government defines ‘clean hydrogen’ as “hydrogen produced using renewable energy or using fossil fuels with substantial carbon capture and storage.”
Brown Coal, Greenwash
Despite being labelled as ‘clean energy’, none of the emissions HESC has produced in its pilot phase have been buried through Carbon Capture and Storage.
Polling – Senate Voting and Election Awareness Issues
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their Senate voting intentions and their understanding of how Senate voting works. The results show: A significant proportion of Australians remain uncertain about important aspects of Senate preferential voting: More than four in ten (43%) respondents thought that putting a 6 beside a
Polling – Senate voting intention
In April and May, The Australia Institute surveyed nationally representative samples of Australians about who they intend to vote for in the Senate.
Wage price spiral or price wage spiral?
Firms like Woolworths would have still seen profit growth if they paid all of their workers a five percent pay rise and did not increase prices.
Wage growth played no significant role in the recent surge in inflation and, as the analysis shows, maintaining real wages across the entire economy as distinct from merely maintaining the minimum wage in real terms would have a trivial impact on the price level even if firms seek to recoup all of a nominal wage rise as further price increases.
Working With COVID: Insecure Jobs, Sick Pay, and Public Health
Almost one in five Australians (and a higher proportion of young workers) acknowledge working with potential COVID symptoms over the course of the pandemic, according to new opinion research published by the Centre for Future Work. The research confirms the public health dangers of Australia’s existing patchwork system of sick leave and related entitlements. The main
APPEA members who pay no income tax
Five of Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association’s (APPEA) most prominent member companies have paid no income tax for at least the past seven years despite combined income from their Australian operations of $138 billion. A sixth company, Santos, paid just $6 million on $28.9 billion of income, and paid no income tax from 2015
Cronyism in appointments to the AAT
This study, the largest and most comprehensive domestic study of the practice of cronyism in relation to appointments to a government agency ever conducted, finds there has been a sharp rise in the proportion of political appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) during the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison administration.
The Wages Crisis Revisited
A comprehensive review of Australian wage trends indicates that wage growth is likely to remain stuck at historically weak levels despite the dramatic disruptions experienced by the Australian labour market through the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds that targeted policies to deliberately lift wages are needed to break free of the low-wage trajectory that has
Permanent and Political
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg have stated repeatedly that their government’s approach to stimulus spending in the wake of the covid crisis was for ‘temporary and targeted’ measures to boost economic activity in the short term without creating ‘structural pressure’ on the budget. For example, in announcing first of three stimulus packages
COP29 in Australia
Australia has never hosted a United Nations climate conference (COP) and the recent proposal from the Labor Party to bid for the 2024 COP in partnership with the Pacific could shift Australia’s reputation from climate laggard to regional leader. This shift should be accompanied by substantive changes to Australia’s climate policy, including on Australia’s climate
Educating for Care
An Environmental Fig Leaf
Emissions have increased under Australia’s only climate policy, the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF).
Polling: Goldstein Research
uComms conducted a survey of 855 residents in the federal seat of Goldstein on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evening of 27 April 2022 using self-completed automated voice polling methodologies. The poll was conducted with a sample size of 855 people via telephone, with a margin of error of 3.34%. The poll is
April 2022
Polling – Political messaging
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitudes towards six political messages, three from the Labor Party and three from the Liberal Party. The two messages with highest total agreement were Labor messages: that “Scott Morrison is all announcement, no delivery” (53% agree, 31% disagree) and “Labor will put
Homes for People
Australia’s housing affordability crisis results from over- reliance on just two options – private home ownership and private renting. To tackle it, a wider repertoire of policies is required.
At the Crossroads
If the federal government lifts annual higher education spending to 1% of GDP, it could repair the destruction inflicted by the COVID pandemic and make universities more accessible and affordable for all Australians, according to new research from the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute. The report analyses the current worrying state of
Over a Barrel
Australia is precariously dependent on imported fuel. Demand-side solutions, particularly electrifying transport, should be adopted to improve Australia’s fuel security and increase energy independence.
Dam bad ideas
The Coalition government has committed $7.4 billion to the construction of new dams and water infrastructure in Australia, the vast majority of which will be spent in North Queensland even though only 1.1% percent of Australians live in that region and 97 percent of agricultural production occurs outside of that region.
An Easter Reflection
A nation can only be as secure as its citizens. The death of a young Warlpiri man in the Northern Territory in 2019, and the recent trial of a police officer who, in the performance of his duties, shot and killed the young Warlpiri man is yet another affront to Australia’s First Peoples. It should
Police Offences Amendment (Workplace Protection) Bill 2022: Submission
The Tasmanian Government’s attempt to restrict citizens’ right to protest with the Police Offences Amendment (Workplace Protection) Bill 2022 is unnecessary and anti-democratic.
Polling – Integrity Commission
Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians about the introduction and role of a Commonwealth Integrity Commission or a National Anti-Corruption Commission. Three in four Australians (75%) support setting up a Commonwealth Integrity Commission, compared to 7% who oppose it. Support for setting up a Commonwealth Integrity Commission is
Youth unemployment and the pandemic
Young Australians have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people make up just 14% of the workforce but bore 55% of the job losses during the 2021 lockdowns. This crisis has compounded decades of high youth unemployment and underemployment. Now is the time for long-term policies to help and protect young people in
Bearing the Brunt
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated labour market problems for young people in NSW. By several measures, young people in NSW have been the hardest hit in Australia. There are a range of policies available to the NSW Government to address this crisis.
The Economic Benefits of High-Quality Universal Early Child Education
Expanded ECEC services would provide a badly-needed boost to Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
Braddon Polling – March 2022
uComms conducted a survey of 829 residents in the federal electorate of Braddon on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evenings of 17 & 21 March 2022 using self-completed automated voice polling methodologies.
Boothby Polling – April 2022
uComms conducted a survey of 801 residents in the SA Federal seat of Boothby on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evening of 30 March 2022 using self-completed automated voice polling methodologies.
Sturt Polling – April 2022
uComms conducted a survey of 809 residents in the SA Federal seat of Sturt on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evening of 30 March 2022 using self-completed automated voice polling methodologies.