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• Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society

This program defends and promotes the traditional values and principles of a free and liberal democratic society and open economy in Australia.

In a related area of research we investigate the place of religion in society.

Fractured Loyalties. Australian citizenship and the crisis of civic virtue
Peter KurtiMarch 6, 2025AP79

Can citizenship survive the end of tolerance? One of the principal tenets of a secular...

Liberalism and Education with Andrew Norton | Liberalism in Question
Robert Forsyth, Andrew NortonMarch 5, 2025

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, we welcome Andrew Norton, who has worked in...

Is the Progressive Era Coming to an End? | Simon Heffer
Simon Heffer, Tom SwitzerFebruary 27, 2025

Around the world, political landscapes are changing. From the United States to Europe and beyond,...

Interest, Usury and the Common Good
Ian Harper, Peter KurtiFebruary 20, 2025OP205

Introduction: Is there a problem with interest? Making money out of lending money has generated...

Do human rights exist? | Helen Dale
Emilie Dye, Helen DaleFebruary 19, 2025

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, guest host Emilie Dye welcomes Helen Dale, senior...

Navigating the Ethics of Colonial History with Nigel Biggar
Peter Kurti, Robert Forsyth, Randall EvansFebruary 4, 2025

This philosophical exploration delves into the ethical complexities of warfare, euthanasia, and colonialism. It examines...

The Christian and the State
Geoffrey BrennanApril 1, 1983OP7

What should be the nature of social and political action which flows from Christian commitment?...

The Politics of Multiculturalism
Raymond SestitoJune 4, 1982PM3

People of other than Anglo-Saxon origin are actively encouraged by the state to preserve their...

Liberty, Justice and the Market
Lauchlan ChipmanSeptember 26, 1981OP6

Professor Chipman challenges some views which have become orthodox in academic and intellectual circles and...

The Profit Motive
Antony FlewSeptember 26, 1980OP3

This paper is published as a contribution to the debate on economic and social issues...

Social Justice, Socialism and Democracy: Three Australian Lectures
F.A. HayekJanuary 5, 1979OP2

“The term “social justice” is today generally used as a synonym of what used to...

Liberty, Equality and Unhappiness
Lauchlan ChipmanSeptember 26, 1978OP1

The first in the series of Occasional Papers. Professor Chipman uses in experience in the...

CIS Nanny State Awards for 2025
Peter KurtiDecember 11, 2025SPECTATOR FLAT WHITE
Each year, CIS gathers the most ridiculous examples of intrusioninto our lives, to find the...
Hanson’s burqa antics dodges hard questions on multiculturalism
Peter KurtiNovember 27, 2025AFR

Eight years after her first burqa stunt, Pauline Hanson pulled it out of the wardrobe...

Tolerance ends where darkest hatred begins
Peter KurtiNovember 12, 2025DAILY TELEGRAPH

Tolerance is often treated as an unqualified virtue. But even virtues have limits. When men...

Sir Frank Lowy reflects on anti-semitism
Michael StutchburyOctober 14, 2025

Last weekend I was honoured to catch up again with Frank Lowy, surely Australia’s most...

Prison
Don’t let death become an easy way out for criminals
Peter KurtiSeptember 3, 2025DAILY TELEGRAPH
Hume’s death raises serious questions. Not just about his rights, but about ours. About the...
Bob Carr’s genocide claims are dangerous for social cohesion
Peter KurtiJuly 29, 2025AFR

Labor’s Friends of Israel group has made this point forcefully. They call for principled criticism,...

Australia’s Hate Speech Failure | Dimitri Burshtein
Dimitri BurshteinMarch 31, 2026

The tragic events at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025 expose a deepening crisis in...

Angus Taylor at CIS: Economic Reform, Immigration, and Australia’s Cost of Living Crisis
Angus Taylor, Michael StutchburyFebruary 19, 2026

Speaking at his first address outside Canberra since being elected Leader of the Opposition by...

Education Reform in Australia | Jennifer Buckingham
Robert Forsyth, Jennifer Buckingham OAMFebruary 17, 2026

Join us on Liberalism in Question for an enlightening discussion with Dr. Jennifer Buckingham, former...

Australia’s Liberal Odyssey: Tracing Freedom’s Path
Robert Forsyth, Greg MelleuishFebruary 10, 2026

In this thought-provoking episode of Liberalism in Question, we delve into the rich tapestry of...

Our Civic Compact is Shattered
Peter KurtiFebruary 10, 2026

Explosive 316% Jump in Antisemitic Attacks: Could This Be the End of Australia’s Harmony? Dive...

Reflecting Back: John Howard and Alexander Downer on Power, Alliances and Australia
John Howard OM AC, Alexander DownerFebruary 6, 2026

Alexander Downer and former Prime Minister John Howard join author Tony Parkinson and CIS Executive...

Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM)
Peter KurtiSeptember 25, 2025

Submission to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) Review of the definition of a...

Submission to the Senate Inquiry on Information Integrity
Michael StutchburySeptember 12, 2025

On behalf of the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), we are pleased to provide the...

Submission to the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into Personal Choice and Community Impacts 2015
August 11, 2015

The CIS submission into the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry proposed two tightly targeted areas...

Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia
Sara HudsonNovember 17, 2013

To address the underlying causes of Indigenous offending, we need to focus on education and...

Submission to Native Title Leading Practice Agreements Discussion Paper 2010
Helen Hughes, Mark Hughes, Sara HudsonNovember 30, 2010

The Native Title process is only one of the processes returning land to traditional owners....

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