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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.

Time we ran our own lives
Peter SaundersMay 9, 2005The Herald Sun

The Friday before last was Tax Freedom Day — the day of the year when...

The $85 Billion Tax/Welfare Churn
Peter SaundersApril 7, 2005IA57

This is the first of three papers in the series ‘Restoring Self-Reliance in Welfare’ analysing...

Fix policies to make housing affordable
Peter SaundersMarch 16, 2005

The house price bubble has finally burst. While it lasted, the boom added substantially to...

Why people are wrong to oppose economic growth
Winton BatesDecember 15, 2004The Canberra Times

After a brief appearance in the 1970s, opposition to economic growth has resurfaced. Over the...

Higher taxes a threat to competitiveness
Peter BurnNovember 25, 2004The Australian Financial Review

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, total tax collections in Australia are about 31.5...

How Highly Taxed Are We? The Level and Composition of Taxation in Australia and the OECD
Peter BurnNovember 19, 2004PM67

Taxation imposes costs. Some of these arise from its effects on international competitiveness, for taxes...

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...

The hysterical republic
Oliver Marc HartwichMarch 24, 2011Business Spectator

Once upon a time, there was a country in central Europe that was known for...

There’s no silver lining to Japan’s tragedy
Adam CreightonMarch 18, 2011

Japan’s north-eastern coastline was a bustling commercial hub early last week. By Saturday, it was...

A plan that will damage Europe
Oliver Marc HartwichMarch 17, 2011Business Spectator

The scale of the Japanese catastrophe is so enormous it has temporarily sidelined any other...

A forgotten financial failure
Stephen KirchnerMarch 16, 2011Online Opinion

The regulatory responses to the global financial crisis have for the most part been conditioned...

The pages of creative destruction
Stephen KirchnerMarch 11, 2011

Australian readers have for the most part been poorly served by their booksellers, publishers and...

New Zealand is in a dangerous debt spiral
Oliver Marc HartwichMarch 10, 2011Business Spectator

The earthquake that struck Christchurch two weeks ago was not only a national catastrophe for...

“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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