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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.

Population Growth: Curse or Blessing?
Peter T. BauerMay 7, 1990OP28

Population growth is widely regarded as self-evidently a cause of poverty and backwardness in Third...

Socialism Is Dead But Leviathan Lives On
James M. BuchananMay 3, 1990OP30

In the seventh John Bonython Lecture, James Buchanan observes that the death of socialism has...

The Third World Debt Crisis: Can’t Pay or Won’t Pay?
Peter T. BauerMarch 13, 1990OP31

In this Occasional Paper, Lord Bauer questions the widely held belief that debt service is...

Economic Control or Economic Development
Peter T. BauerJanuary 6, 1990OP27

In the sixth John Bonython Lecture, P.T. Bauer argues that wide-ranging state controls hinder the...

Regulating for Competition? Trade Practices Policy in a Changing Economy
Michael JamesDecember 1, 1989

This volume is a record of the combined proceedings of a CIS conference held in...

Rogernomics. Reshaping New Zealand’s economy
Simon WalkerMarch 26, 1989NZCIS

Between 1984 and 1988, the Fourth Labour Government undertook the most comprehensive and far-reaching revisions...

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...

How to fix the fake tax debate
John HumphreysApril 11, 2019Financial Review

Since the success of the 1980s and 1990s microeconomic reforms, subsequent governments have attempted to...

Tax cuts in the never-never and a messier system now
Robert CarlingApril 4, 2019Financial Review

The new low and medium income tax offset greatly complicates the tax system, dulling incentives...

Scrap the short-term tax cuts, bring forward the long-term ones
John HumphreysApril 4, 2019Ideas@TheCentre

Surplus of $7.1 billion is mostly due to higher tax The government has announced a...

Does the budget matter? It depends on who’s asking
Simon CowanMarch 30, 2019The Sydney Morning Herald

A number of things about this year’s budget have been unusual. Not only is it...

Exit strategy chaos
Thomas CoppelMarch 29, 2019Ideas@TheCentre

Economic and political uncertainty looms as the UK continues to squabble over Brexit strategy, just...

A tectonic shift to the left in the Australian political landscape
Tom SwitzerMarch 23, 2019The Sydney Morning Herald

Australia is entering a new political era. Unless conservatives and genuine liberals make persuasive counter-arguments,...

“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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