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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.

Bracket creep is a tax increase by stealth
Michael PotterDecember 16, 2015Sydney Morning Herald

Everyone seems to be worried about how a possible GST increase will affect low and...

MYEFO tax pain is personal
Michael PotterDecember 16, 2015Business Spectator

Are you happy that your taxes are set to go up over the next three...

MEDIA RELEASE: MYEFO – Spending remains near GFC emergency levels
Simon Cowan, Michael PotterDecember 15, 2015

The Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) released today confirms that government spending remains at...

Stealth tax slugging Australians while we debate GST
Michael PotterDecember 14, 2015Business Spectator

How would you like an increase in the GST? There are plenty of views on...

Exposing the Stealth Tax: the Bracket Creep rip-off
Robert Carling, Michael PotterDecember 13, 2015Research Report 8

View Interactive Snapshot Bracket creep occurs when taxpayers pay a higher tax rate as their...

COAG – short for coagulation
Michael PotterDecember 12, 2015Business Spectator

The definition of coagulation is to solidify or congeal. That might sum up what we...

The ‘national conversation’ on budgets, spending and tax
Robert CarlingMarch 23, 2023PP49
There is a wide-ranging agenda of issues to which this paper aims to make a...
Housing Targets
Where should we build new housing? Better targets for local councils
Peter TulipMarch 9, 2023AP45
We are not building enough apartments and we are building them in the wrong place....
Thatcherism
No End of a Lesson: The Imitation Thatcherism of Liz Truss
Simon HefferDecember 14, 2022OP194
The so-called ‘Trussonomics’ of Liz Truss’s short-lived and ill-fated premiership were based on an ignorance...
wages growth
Wages Growth in Australia: Evidence and policy evaluation
Gene TunnyNovember 24, 2022PP47
This Policy Paper reviews the evidence regarding wages growth in Australia since the 2008 financial...
Structural reform of the Reserve Bank of Australia
Peter TulipApril 28, 2022AP36
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) structure makes mistakes likely. This paper outlines the need...
PP45 Image Australia's debt
A Sea of Red: Tracking Australia’s debt iceberg
Robert CarlingMarch 21, 2022PP45
The increase in debt raises economic policy issues of major concern. It is reducing fiscal...
Subsidies, safety nets and stagnation: Australia’s new economic model
Michael StutchburyApril 11, 2026AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Protecting one industry imposes a burden on the competitive sectors that actually prop up our...
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...

“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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