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Nanny State

To what extent should people's choices be limited because of the harm they could do to themselves? Here you will find the IPA's work on the Nanny State, or government regulations over areas that should be left up to the choice of the individual

Way Too Much Fuss Over A Simple T-Shirt

Georgina Downer 7 September 2016 Freedom of speech, Nanny state,

This week Target became the latest target of the politically correct warriors. Target’s crime of political correctness was to sell a T-shirt. A pink T-shirt for girls. The t-shirt read...

Opinion

Time To Act: Curbs On Free Speech Must Go

Simon Breheny 19 August 2016 Freedom of speech, Ideas and liberty,

A free speech revolution is just over the horizon. Several recent events are demonstrating that Australians are sick and tired of a political class that gets to decide the limits of public debate...

Opinion

ABS Census Farce Reminds Us Statistics Are The ‘Eyes Of The Bureaucrat’

John Roskam 12 August 2016 Faith and society, Government services,

In 1961, Murray Rothbard, the most important libertarian economist of the 20th century, wrote about the evils of government statistics. “Statistics are the eyes and ears of the bureaucrat...

10 Worst Nanny State Policies

Chris Berg Started 5 August 2016 Ideas and liberty, Nanny state,

10: Plain packet cigarettes The argument for plain cigarette packaging is one of the most stark examples of how Nanny State regulations treat individuals as childish automatons. Plain packaging...

Opinion

A Pokemon In The Eye For Nanny State

Matthew Lesh 13 July 2016 Innovation and entrepreneurship, Nanny state,

A new app is doing what years of nanny state programs and millions of wasted taxpayer dollars failed to do – get people outside, on their feet and living healthier lifestyles. Pokemon GO was...

Red Tape

The Amount of Red Tape in Schools is Getting Stupid

James Bolt Started 1 April 2016 Nanny state, Red tape,

Hey readers would be familiar with Anthony Ruelas, a 15-year-old student in Texas, who broke his school’s code for dealing with asthma attacks by helping an asthmatic student to the school nurse...

Innovation Statement? The Government Doesn’t Even Allow Lemonade Stands

John Roskam 11 December 2015 Innovation and entrepreneurship, Nanny state,

The story of what happened to Chelsea-lee Downes reveals everything that’s wrong with Australia’s attitude to innovation and risk-taking. Malcolm Turnbull and Chris Pyne’s...

Nanny State

Evidence Lacking In The Tobacco Wars

Sinclair Davidson Started 16 July 2014 Nanny state,

This article from the July 2014 edition of the IPA Review is by Senior Fellow with the IPA and Professor of Institutional Economics at RMIT, Sinclair Davidson. Lord Kelvin famously argued, ‘When...

Opinion

End The Cotton Wool Culture For Kids

John Roskam 31 January 2014 Ideas and liberty, Ipa today,

A lot of nonsense has been written lately about young people, alcohol and violence. But there’s one particular bit of nonsense that stands out. It’s this statement from Michael Daube...

Originally appeared in The Australian Financial Review

Western Civilisation

The Government’s Guide To Australia Day

Peter Gregory Started 31 May 2013 Faith and society, Nanny state,

I’m not going to lie (a first for Strange Times?). But Australia Day troubles me. There’s something slightly creepy about how our government gives a taxpayer funded pat on the head to the very...

Freedom of Speech

The War On Democracy

Chris Berg Started 30 May 2013 Freedom of speech, Nanny state,

This article from the May 2013 edition of the IPA Review is written by Director of Policy at the IPA, Chris Berg. In 1953 a bitter Bertolt Brecht wrote, ‘Would it not be easier / In that case for...

Nanny State

The Welfare State And Its Consequences

Julie Novak Started 6 December 2012 Finance and economics, Ideas and liberty,

This article from the December 2012 edition of the IPA Review is by Research Fellow at the IPA, Julie Novak. The welfare state in its existing form, dominated by government financing and provision...

Nanny State

Should Government Force Companies To Be Responsible?

Kesten C. Green Started 6 December 2012 Government services, Nanny state,

This article from the December 2012 edition of the IPA Review is by Lecturer at the International Graduate School of Business at the University of South Australia, Kesten Green. Since at least the...

Government Services

The Folly Of Preventative Healthcare

Brian Bedkober Started 5 December 2012 Government services, Ideas and liberty,

This article from the December 2012 edition of the IPA Review is written by President of Private Doctors Australia and author of ‘Problems in Health Care Delivery: Governmnet as Cause not...

Nanny State

A ‘Nudge’ In The Wrong Direction

Nick Evans Started 5 December 2012 Freedom of speech, Ideas and liberty,

This article from the December 2012 edition of the IPA Review is by Nick Evans, a pseudonym for a London-based journalist. Like many sinister concepts, the idea of governments ‘nudging’ people may...

Freedom of Speech

Civil Liberties Under Fire

James Paterson Started 3 December 2012 Freedom of speech, Ideas and liberty,

This article from the December 2012 edition of the IPA Review is by Editor James Paterson. Attacks on individual freedom in Australia over the past few years have occurred in some unexpected...

Nanny State

Big Brother Is Coming

Simon Breheny Started 10 October 2012 Freedom of speech, Nanny state,

This article from the October 2012 edition of the IPA Review is by Director of the Rule of Law project at the IPA, Simon Breheny. In July this year, the AttorneyGeneral’s Department released a...

Nanny State

End The Nanny State To Win

Christian Kerr Started 13 August 2012 Government services, Ideas and liberty,

This article from the August 2012 edition of the IPA Review is by Journalist with ‘The Australian’, Christian Kerr. As the polls plunge and a tide of sleaze threatens the government...

Nanny State

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