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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.

Progressive Intolerance. The contemporary antisemitism landscape in Australia
Philip MendesJanuary 22, 2026AP98
The evidence is comprehensive and damning. From universities to trade unions, from civil society organisations...
Marian Tupy: More People, More Ideas, More Abundance – Perth
Marian Tupy, Peter KurtiJanuary 21, 2026
Join Marian Tupy & Peter Kurti for data-driven optimism. Why human ingenuity and free markets...
“People are just sick of it” | Alexander Downer
Robert Forsyth, Alexander DownerJanuary 19, 2026

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer joins us...

Marian Tupy: Are Things Actually Getting Better For Humanity? – Melbourne
Marian Tupy, Peter Kurti, Ms Georgina DownerJanuary 15, 2026
Join Marian Tupy & Georgina Downer for data-driven optimism. Why human ingenuity and free markets...
Fear after Bondi is putting free speech on trial
Peter KurtiJanuary 14, 2026AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Instead of rushing to add new laws to an already swollen statute book, we should...
A Short History of Liberalism in the Middle East | Joshua Landis
Robert ForsythJanuary 14, 2026

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, we dive deep into the complex and often...

Free to Shop
Geoff HogbinMay 18, 1983PM 4

Shopping hours and standards in Australia are far behind those of other countries. The trend...

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...

Religious tests a red line we shouldn’t cross
Peter KurtiJanuary 29, 2026DAILY TELEGRAPH
Morrison deserves credit for insisting accusations of Islamophobia must not shut down necessary debate. But...
It’s judgment day: time for unis to kick politics off campus
Steven SchwartzJanuary 29, 2026THE AUSTRALIAN
The problem is not academic freedom itself. The problem is that universities have forgotten what...
Fear after Bondi is putting free speech on trial
Peter KurtiJanuary 14, 2026AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Instead of rushing to add new laws to an already swollen statute book, we should...
The royal commission into the Bondi attack should probe the uncomfortable question
Peter Kurti, Michael StutchburyJanuary 10, 2026CANBERRA TIMES
What should Australia have done over the past two years to prevent this moment —...
It is time for good people to act 
Julie ClaridgeDecember 24, 2025ONLINE OPINION
What we saw that Sunday at Bondi not only highlighted the immediate and palpable threats...
Australia’s complacency and the Bondi beach shooting
Peter KurtiDecember 15, 2025WALL STREET JOURNAL
Whether Australia responds to the murders at Bondi with clarity or caution will reveal not...
Cancel Culture Crusades
Monica Wilkie, Peter Kurti, Claire LehmannApril 11, 2021

Many cultural forces continue to weed out books, tear down statues and shame celebrities, who...

On Liberty EP45 What Do Australians Really Think about Social Media?
Salvatore Babones, Monica WilkieMarch 31, 2021On Liberty

What do Australians really think about social media? We’re joined by CIS policy analyst Monica...

Helping People in 100 Years VS Helping People Now
Bjorn LomborgFebruary 21, 2021

The world’s governments have picked 169 well-meaning targets, promising everything to everyone. But too many...

Let’s look at the Facts of the 2020 Australian Bush Fires
Bjorn Lomborg, Tom SwitzerFebruary 20, 2021

Global warming is a problem that we should tackle… smartly. But climate change will not...

Islands are Moving Not Sinking!
Bjorn Lomborg, Tom SwitzerFebruary 18, 2021

Global warming is a problem that we should tackle… smartly. But climate change will not...

On Liberty EP39 Safe from Harm? “Concept Creep” and the Threat to Liberty
Salvatore Babones, Joshua ForresterFebruary 17, 2021On Liberty

Legal scholar Joshua Forrester joined us to discuss how words like harm and safety have...

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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