Recent publications
Short form opinion
In the Matter of the Clean Energy Act 2011 (Cth.) and the Australian Constitution.
Howard's fault?
The Slap is full of swearing. As Danielle Williams, the Book Club Leader at the Sydney Writers' Centre, advised potential readers ‘if you're easily offended by swearing (and real swearing!) then this isn't for you'. She explained that most...
Demystifying China
The ‘fundamental shift in the structure of the international system' brought about by the resurgence of China is a familiar story. An occasionally neglected part of this story is that such a state of affairs was made possible when US...
Free market solutions to poverty
Over the past two decades, much has been made of so-called ‘market-based' solutions to extreme poverty. The prevailing view is that poverty alleviation schemes premised upon market forces, such as micro finance, offer additional benefits in...
An economists' guide to life
If Ian Harper had been American instead of an Australian, and if he been a professor at the University of Chicago instead of the Melbourne Business School, Economics for Life would have been a hit on The New York Times bestseller list. As it is,...
Insecure Employment
An occasional paper on Insecure Employment
Only one-third of Australians believe humans are to blame for global warming
Only a third of Australians think the world is warming and humans are to blame, according to a Galaxy poll commissioned by the free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. The Galaxy poll asked 1,051 Australians on the weekend of 23-25...
Insecure employment - code for more regulation of the workplace
"An ACTU campaign to restrict access to non-permanent employment is divorced from labour market and economic reality. The campaign would have dire consequences and must be resisted" said John Lloyd, Director, Work Reform and Productivity Unit at...
Work Choices
An occasional paper on Work Choices.
Workplace relations reform - time for a rational debate
"Today almost every workplace relations reform proposed by employers, their representative associations and the Coalition is labelled by the unions and the ALP as a return to Work Choices. Most of this labelling is wrong," said John Lloyd,...