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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.

Word Crimes: The Biggest Grammar Mistakes We All Make – With Simon Heffer
Tom Switzer, Simon HefferMarch 13, 2025

The Key to Good Writing: Clarity. Many people struggle with correct English—do you? If you...

Identity politics, enclaves, undermine common values
Peter KurtiMarch 12, 2025DAILY TELEGRAPH

Hastily-convened citizenship ceremonies around the nation raised suspicions that the federal government was trying to...

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...

Politicisation – the attack on merit and our way of life
Scott PrasserAugust 3, 2023AP52

Introduction This paper examines the issue of ‘politicisation’ of our public services and other public...

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Authority, Expertise And Democracy. Should those who know best rule the rest of us?
Peter KurtiJuly 27, 2023AP51

A. On Heeding Expert Advice During the Covid-19 pandemic, state and territory leaders afforded...

Lessons for liberals from the Anglosphere
Tom SwitzerJune 1, 2023CONNOR COURT

Tom Switzer’s chapter contribution, “Lessons for liberals from the Anglosphere,” in David Steven’s (edited) Dignity...

Bonds of belonging – renewing democracy in an atomised age
Professor Adrian PabstJune 1, 2023OP196

Introduction Liberal democracy is under threat from tech platforms, identity politics, and hostile foreign powers...

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Free to Speak and Free to Believe? What Australians think about freedom of speech
Peter Kurti, Scott PrasserApril 20, 2023AP47

To what extent do Australians think speech is free in this country? According to polling...

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Faith No More? The inadequacy of Australia’s protections for religious freedom
Elisabeth TaylorApril 6, 2023AP46

Freedom of thought, conscience and religion is inextricably connected to the freedoms of expression, assembly,...

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...

Antisemitism Is Not a Jewish Problem, It’s an Australian Problem | Frydenberg, Finlay & Sackville
Peter Kurti, Michael Stutchbury, Josh Frydenberg, Lorraine Finlay, Ronald Sackville AO KCApril 10, 2026

Michael Stutchbury, Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Studies, opens this panel discussion with...

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...

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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