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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.

Making things worse
John HumphreysMay 11, 2009Business Spectator

There is an ongoing debate about whether the government’s spending spree is going to work...

Australian libertarians revealed
John HumphreysMay 10, 2009Open Forum

It seems left-wing economic journalist Ross Gittins has just discovered the word ‘libertarian,’ and the...

That 70s Show: Whitlam Era Spending is Back
Stephen KirchnerMay 8, 2009

So much for fiscal conservatives.  The 2009 budget forecasts the biggest expansion in federal government...

It’s all down to the market
Oliver Marc HartwichMay 2, 2009The Australian

Dear David, Budget day is coming up and it's times like these when I realise...

Tax cuts, mutual obligation and labour force flexibility could make or break jobless
May 1, 2009

With a nightmare budget looming in view, it’s tempting to take the fatalistic view that...

Oh joy, the rest of the year is in our pockets
Oliver Marc HartwichApril 23, 2009The Newcastle Herald

Happy Tax Freedom Day! A tax is ‘a compulsory exaction of money by a public...

Private Correspondence: Competition or Monopoly in Australia’s Postal Services?
Robert AlbonOctober 18, 1985PM7

Dr Albon beleives that the most important and practical way to improve postal services to...

Trial Without Error: Anticipation vs Resilence as Strategies for Risk Reduction
Aaron WildavskyAugust 19, 1985OP13

Safety regulations are proliferating at a great rate in society today, attempting to protect us...

The Anti-Capitalist Mentality: Post Mortem for an Ideology
R.M. HartwellAugust 15, 1985OP14

In the 2nd John Bonython Lecture Professor Hartwell traces the history of the anti-capitalist mentality...

Enterprise: Free, Dependent or Captor?
Warren HoganAugust 8, 1985OP12

The relationship between government and business is the theme of this essay. Each depends on...

The Case Against the Arbitration Commission
P.P. McGuinnessApril 26, 1985OP11

The Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission is the main obstacle to much-needed reform of industrial...

Capital Xenophobia: Australia’s Controls of Foreign Investment
Wolfgang KasperDecember 18, 1984PM6

An early study by the CIS which supported the lifting of controls on foreign investment...

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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