“Bush declared war on terror, Blair declared war on crime and it’s like Cameron has declared war on the public sector.” It’s just over two years … more
Sustainable Economy | Farming Smarter, Not Harder
Australia’s land-based economy provides clean air, water, food and fibre – but our soils continue to be degraded by acidity, erosion, urban development, increased climate variability … more
Post Carbon Pathways? Necessary. Possible. Urgent
Around the world an increasing number of detailed policy road maps are demonstrating the possibility – as well as the necessity and urgency – of a … more
What Are We Complaining About? An Analysis of Cost of Living Pressures
Are most Australians really ‘doing it tough’? In response to the widely-held notion that we are all suffering from cost of living pressures, CPD fellow Ian … more
Private Health Insurance: High in cost and low in equity
Government proposals to apply a means test to private health insurance subsidies have re-ignited the debate about the role of private insurance. Download the new CPD … more
Media Ownership and Regulation in Australia | DISCUSSION PAPER
By Rob Harding-Smith, CPD Researcher In theory the media should diversify a nation’s democracy, serving as a channel through which many different groups can participate in … more
John Quiggin | Gillard’s Labor Has Lost Its Heritage
Wayne Swan’s Budget speech opened with a commendation of ‘this Labor budget’ and closed with an invocation of the past Labor governments which ‘managed the … more
Fiona Armstrong & Laura Eadie | Innovating For A Prosperous and Secure Future
When it comes to innovation policy, the Gillard government relies heavily on hot air to hide their lightweight commitment to Australia’s long-term future. Back in February, … more
John Menadue | Trampling on Human Rights is Expensive
Asylum seekers continue to suffer because of poll driven policies and their fate remains an enormous political problem for Australia. John Menadue adds up how expensive trampling … more
James Arvanitakis & Alex Surace | The Disease that Ate the Budget
Wayne Swan’s fourth budget can be commended for beginning to address upper-class welfare and ending unnecessary tax cuts. However, Australia once again finds itself riding the … more
Eva Cox | Making a Society More Fragile
The primary and secondary purpose of Gillard’s first budget as PM appears to be economic growth for its own sake. It fails to deliver any new … more
Ian McAuley | A Glimmer of Vision to a Close Horizon
Is the surplus fetish distracting the Government from the real economic challenges? Ian McAuley finds glimpses of Labor values in an otherwise short-sighted budget. … more
Jennifer Doggett | A Healthy Start, but it’s Complicated
The new budget might seem to be groundbreaking, but what does it really mean for health? Jennifer Doggett cuts through the fat of the 2011 budget. … more
James Whelan & Jennifer Doggett | Bean Counting is Compromising our Public Services
Can arbitrary cuts under the guise of efficiency deliver a better public service? James Whelan & Jennifer Doggett take a look at the political and policy … more