Articles tagged: featured

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 McAuley undertakes a thorough research of the evidence. Ian finds, in fact, that for the majority of Australians rising incomes have kept well ahead of rising prices. Some people are feeling a squeeze: renters … 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 discussion paper ‘Private Health Insurance: High in cost and low in equity‘ In our present system the vast majority of subsidies disproportionately benefit the well-off. Country people with poor access to private hospitals subsidize … more

NEW REPORT | Stocking Up: Securing Our Marine Economy

Introducing CPD’s first major Sustainable Economy Report Our oceans are often out of sight, but that doesn’t mean they should be out of mind. Australia is surrounded by a vast wealth of oceans. We have the world’s third largest marine estate. We have the highest marine biodiversity in the world. Our marine economy supports thousands of regional jobs through commercial … more

A New Approach: Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees & Asylum Seekers

CPD has released A New Approach: Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees & Asylum Seekers, a report which comprehensively critiques Australia’s refugee and asylum policies and finds they are inhumane, ineffective and expensive. DOWNLOAD the full report here. Australia needs a circuit-breaker in our treatment of people seeking asylum from war and persecution. On the 10th anniversary of the Tampa, Australia’s asylum and … more

The State of the Australian Public Service: An Alternative Report

The Centre for Policy Development releases The State of the Australian Public Service: An Alternative Report, as part of our Public Service program. DOWNLOAD the report here. The report’s key findings include: a widening gap between the anti-public servant rhetoric of some politicians and commentators and the positive attitudes held by Australian citizens about public servants and the services they deliver and … more

Prominent Australians urge political leaders to break stalemate on refugees & asylum seekers

Australia needs a circuit-breaker in our treatment of people seeking asylum from war and persecution. On the tenth anniversary of the MV Tampa’s rescue of 438 asylum seekers from their distressed vessel Palapa 1, Australia’s asylum and refugee policy is still sadly characterised by human tragedy, political opportunism, policy failure and great cost. People seek asylum here have been the … more

Beyond the Blunt Instrument: the Efficiency Dividend and its alternatives

Efficiency Dividend is inefficient: Danger of waste on the way to a surplus A new paper from the Centre for Policy Development examines the flaws caused by blanket budget cuts and puts forward alternatives. The Efficiency Dividend – the main mechanism used to drive performance improvements across the Australian Public Service (APS) – has been chipping away at public service budgets … more

BUY More Than Luck: Ideas Australia needs now

In the wake of last year’s Federal election, we published a book of policy ideas. More Than Luck: Ideas Australia needs now is both a collection of ideas for citizens who want real change and a to-do list for politicians looking to base public policies on the kind of future Australia needs. It’s a book filled with the practical steps … more