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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.

Fiscal Illusion: How Big Government Makes Tax Look Small
December 12, 2007

Fiscal Illusion: How Big Government Makes Tax Look Small Fiscal illusion is the political art...

What are Low Ability Workers To Do When Unskilled Jobs Disappear? Part 1
Peter SaundersDecember 6, 2007IA91

Part 1: Why More Education and Training Isn’t the Answer Employers are reporting shortages of...

Milton Friedman: A Tribute
Maurice NewmanDecember 4, 2007OP106

Nobel-Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman died in late 2006. In March 2007, the CIS hosted a...

Why is Australia So Much Richer than New Zealand?
Phil RennieDecember 4, 2007IA90

Australians are a third richer than New Zealanders. Per capita GDP (adjusted for purchasing power...

Exploring a Carbon Tax
John HumphreysNovember 8, 2007

How a carbon tax could reduce income tax and petrol prices The Australian government, with...

Exploring a Carbon Tax for Australia
John HumphreysNovember 6, 2007PM80

It is not a foregone conclusion that we need a carbon trading scheme or a...

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...

Game on in the states of Monopoly
Oliver Marc HartwichOctober 11, 2010The Australian Financial Review

Even tragedies like the Great Depression have their positive side effects. One of them is...

Why world must take interest in our boom
Greg LindsayOctober 11, 2010The Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney is hosting this year's general meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society, founded by the...

That fabled ‘Big Australia’
October 8, 2010

Your Most Gracious Majesty, It is our duty to inform You that the prospects for...

Britons brace for age of austerity
Peter SaundersOctober 8, 2010The Australian

Tony Abbott is in Britain visiting the Conservative Party conference. Is there anything he may...

Economists should learn some history
Oliver Marc HartwichOctober 1, 2010Spectator Australia

Many groups have had to share the blame for the financial crisis that gripped the...

A bigger GST? Be careful what you wish for
Robert CarlingOctober 1, 2010

The value added tax (VAT) (GST to Australians and New Zealanders) was a French invention...

“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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