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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.

Is Australia’s Financial System Ready for the 21st Century?
David Murray AO, Simon CowanNovember 20, 2024
Join us on 3 Dec in Sydney for a buffet lunch & talk with David...
The true lesson Aussies should learn from Trump’s victory
Simon CowanNovember 16, 2024CANBERRA TIMES

Since the US election result confirmed Donald Trump would re-enter the White House in triumph,...

Land Use Restrictions and the Australian Housing Policy Debate
Peter TulipOctober 15, 2024FABIAN SOCIETY
Planning restrictions are a major reason why housing in Australia is so expensive. For example,...
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,...
Hayek-Friedrich road to serfdom
This book changed the world. The West needs to read it again
Tom SwitzerOctober 9, 2024AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Austrian economist and intellectual Friedrich Hayek was a victim of cancel culture long before...

Capital gains cracks return to haunt Labor
Simon CowanOctober 7, 2024CANBERRA TIMES

Labor’s obsession with negative gearing and capital gains tax changes has reared its head yet...

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...

Drowning in a Sea of Diagnoses. How medicalising distress is overwhelming Australia’s mental health system and failing those most in need
Steven SchwartzFebruary 12, 2026AP100

Executive Summary At the centre of Australia’s mental health system lies a paradox. Government...

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...

On Liberty EP102 2022 Federal Budget Recap Part 2
Simon Cowan, John KehoeNovember 2, 2022On Liberty
Guest host Simon Cowan reenters the budget bunker to discuss the second federal budget in...
The New Federal Liberal Party Economic Agenda
Angus Taylor, Tom SwitzerOctober 6, 2022
We welcomed Federal Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor to discuss the new economic agenda for the...
On Liberty EP96 Is the property bubble bursting?
Eliza Owen, Salvatore BabonesAugust 3, 2022On Liberty
Salvatore Babones returns to discuss the future of housing and rental prices with Eliza Owen...
Diplomatic: A Washington Memoir Book Launch
Joe Hockey, James Morrow, Simon CowanApril 21, 2022
CIS welcomed former Treasurer and Australian Ambassador to the US Joe Hockey to launch his...
On Liberty EP84 2022 Federal Budget Recap
Mikayla Novak, Simon CowanMarch 30, 2022On Liberty

As this year’s election looms, the 2022 federal budget maybe the last chance the federal...

Where is Australia headed?
Nicholas Moore, Tom Switzer, Robert ForsythFebruary 18, 2022

There are good reasons to be distressed about the state of today’s world and Australia’s...

Submission to the Productivity Commission 5 year productivity review: Increasing Australia’s Future Prosperity
Michael PotterDecember 15, 2016CIS Submission

The submission by CIS Research Fellow Michael Potter argues: An excellent productivity boosting agenda is...

Submission to the Productivity Commission on the Preliminary Findings Report: Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services: Identifying Sectors for Reform
Sara HudsonOctober 27, 2016CIS Submission

To improve Indigenous outcomes, there needs to be better management of overall funding and a...

Submission to Senate Inquiry on Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan) Bill 2016
Michael PotterOctober 3, 2016CIS Submission

The submission by CIS Research Fellow Michael Potter provides a detailed case for a reduction...

Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Enterprise Tax Plan Bill 2016
Michael PotterSeptember 30, 2016CIS Submission

The growing company tax burden contrasts with the state of the economy, which is showing...

Productivity Commission Inquiry Into Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services: Submission in response to issues paper
Trisha JhaJuly 1, 2016CIS Submission

The Human Services Inquiry is ‘examining policy options in the human services sector that incorporate...

Principles and recommendations for tax reform – CIS submission National Reform Summit
Simon Cowan, Robert Carling, Henry ErgasAugust 27, 2015CIS Submission

The slant towards cutting taxes before 2010 was welcome, but for such an approach to...

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