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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.

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...

Flat-out making some proportional changes
Lauchlan ChipmanNovember 17, 2004The Newcastle Herald

OF the many assumptions behind Australia’s taxation system, two stand out. One is that personal...

High time to look at equitable version of flat tax
Lauchlan ChipmanNovember 4, 2004The Australian Financial Review

In an interview before the election on October 9, Prime Minister John Howard agreed Australia’s...

Reforming Central Banking
Stephen KirchnerMarch 1, 1997PM36

   

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Markets, Morals and Community
October 1, 1996OP59

Few people today doubt the market’s contribution to prosperity, but still there are powerful intellectual...

Institutions of Innovation and Prosperity
Ray BallAugust 27, 1996OP58
Western nations benefit from social institutions that create prosperity & liberty. Our future prosperity depends...
The Boundaries of Life’s Responsibilities- Community and Nation in a Global Environment
Gary SturgessJuly 1, 1996OP57

Globalisation means increasing international influence on domestic life. Australians are selling and buying more on...

Working Youth: Tackling Australian Youth Unemployment
Helen HughesMay 1, 1996PM34

Youth unemployment is a major social and economic problem. The official statistics put youth unemployment...

Free to Work. The liberalisation of New Zealand’s labour market
Wolfgang KasperJanuary 1, 1996PM32

In 1902 New Zealand’s first Minister of Labour, Pember Reeves, described the Australasian states as...

The mental health system may be making us sicker
Steven SchwartzApril 6, 2026CANBERRA TIMES

Australia has a mental health crisis, but not the one we think. Despite decades of...

Housing negative gearing tax
Reducing the discount would likely not have any lasting impact in lowering house prices
Robert Carling, Michael StutchburyMarch 21, 2026CANBERRA TIMES

Anyone watching the smoke signals from Canberra knows that moves are afoot to try and...

Alarm bells ringing on more interest rate pain
Michael StutchburyMarch 18, 2026DAILY TELEGRAPH
Australians were losing faith that the combination of Labor’s economic policies and the RBA monetary...
Labor’s capital gains tax myths need busting
Robert CarlingMarch 11, 2026DAILY TELEGRAPH

Labor has long held an axe over the capital gains tax 50% discount and negative...

Measuring affordability in time, not dollars paints a different inflation picture
Marian L. TupyMarch 9, 2026CANBERRA TIMES

Even before new Middle East conflict sparked concern about petrol prices, Australia’s latest CPI release...

Blame diagnostic inflation for the NDIS’ $10b Autism bill
Steven SchwartzMarch 5, 2026AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW

As recently reported in The Australian Financial Review, autism costs the National Disability Insurance Scheme...

“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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