1 October 2018

Counting restrictive clauses in legislation is a powerful tool to reduce red tape, argues Darcy Allen. It is time for a new approach to red tape reduction. Governments seeking to systematically reduce red tape need a metric by which they can measure their success or failure. In particular, we need to focus on ‘regulatory restrictions’ or ‘restrictiveness clauses’ in regulations—providing

8 June 2018

New research released today by free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs calls for a complete overhaul of Australia’s regulatory system in order to slash red tape and boost business investment in Australia. The Senate Standing Committee on Economics is currently undertaking an inquiry into impediments to business investment in Australia. “Business investment as a percentage of GDP is

31 May 2018

A new book by RMIT scholars Dr Darcy Allen and Dr Christopher Berg, ‘Australia’s Red Tape Crisis’ brings together contributions from economists, philosophers, politicians and legal experts to explore the economics, politics and culture of over-regulation, and defines a path for overcoming Australia’s red tape crisis. The book is being launched by the Institute of Public Affairs in Canberra today

1 December 2017

It wasn’t until late November this year that the federal government remembered its long-term promise to cut taxes. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a return to serious economic reform—it was a distraction from the ongoing citizenship saga. Indeed, through 2017 the government has not only failed to pursue reform, but has even failed to persuade voters that free market reform is possible.

23 October 2017

With business creation and investment in Australia in precipitous decline, it is critical that all levels of Australian government undertake reforms to reduce red tape to achieve minimum best practice regulation. Environmental law in Australia has not only been expanding but also becoming more centralised. The delays that stem from this red tape create uncertainty, stymie investment, and hold back

23 October 2017

The responsibility for protecting threatened species should be returned to the States, according to a new report released today by free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. The report, Decentralising the Protection of Australian Threatened Species, authored by IPA Research Fellows Morgan Begg, Darcy Allen, and Daniel Wild, found that the size of the federal list of threatened

1 October 2017

At the core of our liberal democracy is the understanding that we are all equal. The spread of identity politics across Australia and the West, however, directly undermines this by seeking different rules for different groups of people. Rather than advocating classical liberal institutions and norms, identity politics seeks to divide us into our religious, ethnic, and gender group identities.

26 July 2017

From spraying pastures to collecting crop data, drones are set to revolutionise Australian agriculture. However, despite this enormous pot-ential, calls for more regulation threaten to keep drones firmly on the ground. The application of drones in agriculture alone is estimated to be worth an enormous $32 billion globally. How can Australian regulators make sure we embrace this revolution? No one

8 June 2017

Australia has experienced 26 years of unbroken economic growth, but with little to show for it. Business investment is declining, and wages growth and new business start-ups are at record lows, while public debt and underemployment are at record highs. Red tape is the central factor contributing to this economic malaise. The IPA calculated that red tape reduces Australia’s economic

1 June 2017

Once again, the Commonwealth budget enlarged the Commonwealth government. And once again we are predicted to grow our way into surplus, this time in 2020-21. But this year an economic miracle alone won’t be enough, so we have contradictory policy tinkering and big new tax hikes. In time, this budget may come to represent when a decades-long period of Australian