Morgan Begg
Director of Research
Morgan Begg is the Director, Research at the Institute of Public Affairs
Morgan joined the IPA in 2014 to advance a major report into The State of Fundamental Legal Rights in Australia. Since then Morgan has also written a number of research papers, opinion articles, IPA Review essays and submissions to parliamentary inquiries, on a variety of topics, including the issue of judicial appointments, public health restrictions, the GST, and the proposed Voice to Parliament.
Morgan’s interests are in preserving constitutional government and the rule of law, and protecting and extending the rights and freedoms of Australians, such as freedom of speech and religion. He became an admirer of the IPA during the debates surrounding the constitutional recognition of local government, the Gillard government’s Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, and its ongoing research into section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
22 May 2018
Why We Must Not Appoint A Commissioner For Racial Division
This IPA Parliamentary Research Brief explains why at the expiry of the current term of the Race Discrimination Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission the federal government should leave the position vacant. The term of the current Race Discrimination Commissioner becomes vacant in August, 2018. Applications for the position closed on 11 May, 2018. The policy of the Institute of
10 May 2018
Britain, Stop Culturally Appropriating Marx
Okay, this might be a little crazy, but we think we’ve stumbled across a solution to the record debt forecast in Tuesday’s budget: Cut. Spending. Check out what just a 1% cut in federal spending across the board would do to the national debt over the next 4 years: The 2018-19 federal budget released on Tuesday hit record levels of debt ($561 billion), taxes ($473 billion),
10 May 2018
FIVE IDEAS TO FIX AUSTRALIA
This article first appeared in the May 2018 edition of the IPA Review. PDF available here. A recent university study found that public satisfaction with our democratic processes and public trust in the politicians we elect are at some of the lowest levels ever recorded. Meanwhile, Australia is experiencing sluggish economic growth as businesses struggle under the burden of red
10 May 2018
Keeping the Faith
Morgan Begg reviews Keeping the Faith: The Battle for Australian Catholicism, by Fr James Grant. (this article first appeared in the May 2018 edition of the IPA Review. A PDF can be downloaded here). All religious establishments in the People’s Republic of China became bound by the government’s new ‘Regulations for Religious Affairs’ from February 1, 2018. The stated aim
26 April 2018
Get Kanye on Q&A
The most important class difference in Australia is between those who have the dignity of work and those who don’t, as John Roskam explained on Q&A on Monday: If you missed Q&A on Monday, you can catch the highlights here. And after you watch what John had to say about the dignity of work, you can watch the IPA’s Gideon Rozner explain why the ACTU’s Sally McManus
18 April 2018
Four Problems With GST Redistribution And How To Fix Them
Our new research brief discusses Australia’s alarming GST problem. IPA research has found that the states that are responsible for contributing the most to the GST pool – New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia – have lost $87 billion to the other states and territories since its introduction, under the complex process known as “horizontal fiscal equalisation”. The Institute
12 April 2018
Time To End GST Redistribution, 2018 Update
New research released by free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs reveals how GST equalisation is creating a class of winners and losers among Australian states. IPA Research Fellow Morgan Begg said, “While WA’s position in the Commonwealth Grants Commission rejig is an improvement it will still amount to billions of dollars in lost revenue for the state.”
4 April 2018
A Report Into Religious Liberty In Australia: Provided To The Religious Freedom Review Expert Panel
“Religious and other beliefs and convictions are part of the humanity of every individual. They are an integral part of his personality and individuality. In a civilised society individuals respect each other’s beliefs. This enables them to live in harmony. This is one of the hallmarks of a civilised society.” Lord Nicholls Beliefs and convictions – whether religious or otherwise
4 April 2018
Farmers Know Best How To Clear Their Own Land
The Palaszczuk government’s proposed regulations on native vegetation attack responsible farming and threaten agricultural development in regional Queensland. The changes, being considered by a parliamentary committee, reverse a policy that allows farmers to clear high-value agricultural land to put it to productive use. Those laws were a sensible attempt to find a balance between environmental conservation and agricultural development. They
29 March 2018
Hayek Was A Sledger Too
If you’re wondering why the Australian cricket team cheating and lying matters, watch Professor Robert Tombs explain how Western Civilisation is like the laws of cricket in his brilliant 33-min speech to the IPA last week: If you missed Professor Tombs’ tour with the IPA, make sure you watch his appearance on Outsiders and The Bolt Report. John Roskam wrote in The Australian Financial Review on Friday why we would be
