13 July 2023
Not All Royal Commissions Are Equal
The media are a lot more interested in scandals like robo-debt under a Coalition government than in Lawyer X under a Labor government in Victoria. The last few weeks have been the tale of two royal commissions. Last week in Canberra the report of the robo-debt scheme inquiry was released. It continues to dominate the political news as its “sealed chapter” recommends
23 August 2022
Parliamentary Research Brief To The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Australia is facing an unprecedented, country- wide shortage of workers, the effect of which is to reduce business investment, economic growth, and productivity, as well as forgone wages and government revenue. Urgent government action is needed to reduce the shortage of workers, with one promising initiative being to encourage more pensioners to re-enter the workforce by reduce the unfair penalty
8 June 2022
When Big Parties Look The Same, Voters Turn Elsewhere
Australia issued its verdict at the polls last month. It may not be the desired outcome for all, but it’s an outcome we must respect. This was the most unconventional federal election in recent memory in more respects than one realises. For years the moderates in the Liberal Party ran the narrative that conservatives needed to tone down and embrace
4 June 2022
‘Half-baked’ Climate Policies Hurt Liberals In WA
There will be no shortage of theories about the Coalition’s performance for months to come. In Western Australia alone, the swing of -10.5 per cent was three times the national average. Yet, it’d be naive to attribute this entirely to Premier Mark McGowan’s personal popularity. What often masquerades as post-election analyses are narratives manufactured to legitimise preconceived agendas. Moderates blame
31 May 2022
72% Of Australians Back Dutton On Reliable, Affordable Energy
“Close to three-quarters of Australians back Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s focus on reliable and affordable energy supply, which in practice means scrapping the policy of net zero emissions”, said Daniel Wild, Director of Research at the Institute of Public Affairs. New Liberal leader Peter Dutton stated in a recent interview with Channel 9 that; “For the Liberal Party, we want
3 May 2022
Australians Won’t Pay For Net Zero
“That a significant majority of Australians have again been found willing to pay little or nothing to cut emissions reinforces that support for net zero in the community is shallow and weak,” said Daniel Wild, Director of Research at the Institute of Public Affairs. A survey conducted by Resolve Strategic for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age released today
27 April 2022
Regional Australians Deserve Better Than Net Zero Hush Money
“Rather than handing out yet more net zero hush money to regional Australians, the Coalition must scrap net zero to protect regional jobs and economic opportunity,” said Daniel Wild, Director of Research at the Institute of Public Affairs. Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister of a plan to create 450,000 jobs comes on the heels of landmark research released by
18 April 2022
Why It’s No Contest On The Economy
The ALP of the 2020s has lost interest in Australia’s economic future. And the Coalition appears to be following suit. It says a great deal about the condition of Australian policy and politics that the biggest story of the first week of the 2022 federal election campaign was Labor leader Anthony Albanese’s inability to name the level of unemployment and
16 December 2021
‘Voices of’ Franchise is a Trend
The fear the “Voices of” independents are striking into the Coalition can be measured by the tone of the language Scott Morrison has used to attack them. While in Queensland this week, he described them as “the voices of Labor” backed by “big financiers” from “down there in the southern states”. That’s a lot of attention from the Prime Minister for an
