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• Economic Policy

CIS is guided by the philosophy of global free markets and individual responsibility. Our economic policy research centres on ideas for continuing reform that will strengthen Australia’s economic independence and prosperity, and challenge the over-reach of big government.

Best way to help a warming planet is to tax carbon and let the market decide
John HumphreysJanuary 31, 2009The Age

With the country slipping into recession and the government falling into deficit, political priorities have...

Taxation rhetoric and reality
John HumphreysJanuary 30, 2009Business Spectator

In the 2008 Budget the government outlined its plan for future tax cuts. In light...

‘Rudd Bank’ puts taxpayers last
Stephen KirchnerJanuary 28, 2009The Australian Financial Review

The Rudd government’s $2 billion intervention to provide loans to the commercial property sector is...

Radical Surgery: The Only Cure for New South Wales Hospitals
Wolfgang KasperJanuary 27, 2009PM91

NSW public hospitals are plagued by massive systemic failures, as diagnosed in the Garling report....

Accepting the recession
John HumphreysJanuary 26, 2009The Canberra Times

As Australia gets caught up in the global financial crisis, there has been much discussion...

Beyond Symbolism: Finding a Place for Local Government in Australia’s Constitution
Oliver Marc HartwichJanuary 22, 2009IA104

Local governments could provide better services, like schools and fast development approvals if they received...

Humankind and the infinite resource base
Marian L. TupyApril 2, 2026OP212

This paper examines the human ability to expand our resource base into infinity. Given human...

Why We Should Not Increase Capital Gains Tax
Robert CarlingMarch 11, 2026PP64
Debate about capital gains tax rarely occurs in isolation. It typically emerges during periods of...
10 CGT Myths Busted
Robert CarlingMarch 11, 2026IA155

The criticisms and characterisation of the 50% capital gains tax discount over many years have...

Growth that Builds: Beyond the immigration blame game 
Marian L. TupyMarch 5, 2026PP63
This paper argues that Australia’s housing crisis is primarily a supply failure, not simply a...
Reform of Heritage Legislation
Peter TulipFebruary 26, 2026PP62

Introduction Several states have recently overhauled their planning legislation. However, the flaws in their heritage...

Hours, Not Dollars: Rethinking the cost-of-living debate 
Marian L. TupyFebruary 23, 2026AP102

Executive Summary Public debate about the ‘cost-of-living crisis’ often confuses nominal price increases with declining...

Robert Carling, tax cuts, stage 3 tax cuts, labot
Albanese slams door on Labor’s own tax aspirations
Robert CarlingFebruary 1, 2024AFR

Albanese slams door on Labor’s own tax aspirations. Australia’s personal income tax structure has been...

Costello, peter, future, fund, future fund,
Future Fund critics owe Costello an apology
Tom SwitzerJanuary 30, 2024AFR

Future Fund critics owe Costello an apology. Opinion writers and policy wonks make regular criticisms...

labor, stage 3 tax cuts, tax, stage 3, promise, taxation
Labor has gone a long way towards shredding its credibility
Simon Cowan, Robert CarlingJanuary 30, 2024CANBERRA TIMES

Labor has gone a long way towards shredding its credibility. It was said of a...

DP World
Alarm bells ringing on the waterfront (again)
Andrew BlythJanuary 20, 2024SPECTATOR FLAT WHITE

In the throes of a four-month waterfront dispute featuring the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union...

The political winners and losers of 2023
Simon CowanDecember 30, 2023CANBERRA TIMES

The political winners and losers of 2023 Once again it is the time of year...

Voice to parliament
National cabinet’s zero-sum game is hurting Australia
Robert Carling, Simon CowanDecember 16, 2023CANBERRA TIMES

While the name has changed over the decades from Premiers Conference to COAG to National...

“The 50% discount is unfair” and other CGT myths | Robert Carling & Michael Stutchbury
Robert Carling, Michael StutchburyMarch 11, 2026

The criticisms and characterization of the 50% capital gains tax discount over many years have...

The Case for Optimism: More People, More Ideas, More Wealth | Marian Tupy
Marian L. Tupy, Michael StutchburyMarch 6, 2026

Marian Tupy — editor of HumanProgress.org, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, and co-author of...

Old buildings and the housing crisis with Peter Tulip
Peter TulipMarch 4, 2026

Peter Tulip explains how several states have recently overhauled their planning legislation. However, the flaws...

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...

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...

‘NIMBYism is a cancer’: Bragg outlines housing policy vision with Peter Tulip & Michael Stutchbury
Andrew Bragg, Peter Tulip, Michael StutchburyDecember 12, 2025

Senator Andrew Bragg and economist Peter Tulip join Michael Stutchbury for a wide-ranging conversation on...

Submission to Senate Inquiry into Illegal Tobacco Crisis in Australia
Michael StutchburyJanuary 15, 2026
The federal government should pause increases in tobacco excise to weaken the profit of the...
Submission to Senate Education and Employment References Committee
Michael Wu October 22, 2025CIS

Despite good intentions, Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care system has expanded well beyond its...

Submission to Productivity Commission’s Investing in cheaper, cleaner energy and the net zero transformation Interim Report
September 15, 2025

The Productivity Commission’s statement that careful emissions reduction policy design will enable gains in productivity...

Submission to Heritage NSW
Peter TulipJuly 18, 2025CIS

This submission argues that NSW’s heritage legislation has serious flaws. In particular, costs of listing...

Submission to Victorian Legislative Council Select Committee Inquiry
Peter TulipMay 5, 2025CIS

Victoria Planning Provisions Amendments VC257, VC267 and VC274: Submission to Victorian Legislative Council Select Committee...

Submission to the Inquiry into financial regulation and home ownership
Peter TulipOctober 15, 2024
Regulation of the financial system is needed to protect depositors and avoid financial crises. However,...
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