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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.

Robert ForsythMay 21, 2025

In this episode, we delve into the controversial world of the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW)...

Faith and Freedom: Evangelical Christianity in Liberal Australia | Stuart Piggin
Robert ForsythMay 7, 2025

In this episode, we explore the history of evangelical Christianity in Australia with guest Stuart...

Why hope still matters in a divided world
Peter KurtiApril 17, 2025AFR

Hope is easily dismissed as illusory when the grounds for holding fast to it appear...

The Economic Philosophy of Liberalism | Eamonn Butler | Liberalism in Question
Robert Forsyth, Eamonn ButlerApril 16, 2025

We apologise for the picture quality on camera 2. In this episode of Liberalism in...

Trump’s Tariffs Hurt Consumers | Johan Norberg
Robert Forsyth, Johan NorbergApril 9, 2025

Author and historian of ideas Johan Norberg dives into Donald Trump’s tariffs, the ongoing challenges...

Double Standards: Rabbi Elton’s analysis of antisemitism past and present
Peter Kurti, Doctor Benjamin Elton April 3, 2025

In our 2025 Acton Lecture, Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Elton analyses antisemitism’s persistence from medieval times...

The Argument For Debate: how school debating can improve academic outcomes and foster a stronger democracy
Deidre Clary, Fiona MuellerDecember 5, 2024AP77

Introduction The Education Goals for Young Australians prioritise “excellence and equity” and the formation of...

The Future of Australian Multiculturalism
Peter Kurti, Damien Freeman, Jonathan Cole, Bryan TurnerOctober 24, 2024AP76
The tolerance and diversity of which we have been rightly proud has given way to...
The Coming Global Depopulation. John Bonython Lecture 2024
Nicholas Eberstadt October 16, 2024OP204
What lies ahead? What will depopulation mean for society, the economy, politics and international relations?...
Truth Decay
Andrew BellOctober 3, 2024OP203
The issue with which this year’s lecture engages is truth and the challenges presented by...
The Rise of Activist Corporations: How activism agendas subsumed shareholder primacy
Peter Swan AOSeptember 26, 2024OP202
Australian companies have been shifting from a purely shareholder focus to a much vaguer, less...
Much Ado About Gen Z. Are young workers really driving corporate activism?
Emilie DyeAugust 22, 2024IA151
Business has become increasingly involved in social and political issues. Some believe this is because...
It is no sin to be rich
Samuel GreggMay 26, 2000Business review Weekly

A discussion of the morality of wealth is timely. In the past year, there has...

Beyond the Classroom: How Parents Influence Their Children’s Education
Alison RichMarch 15, 2000

In a society that demands a high level of education and skill for a successful...

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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