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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.

Cut the minimum wage to expand low skilled employment
Peter SaundersFebruary 18, 2008The Australian Finanacial Review

The Rudd government has set up a new board, Skills Australia, to spend a billion...

Saving the long term jobless
Peter SaundersFebruary 16, 2008Online Opinion

It is ten years since the federal government shut down the Commonwealth Employment Service and...

What are Low Ability Workers To Do When Unskilled Jobs Disappear? Part 2
Peter SaundersFebruary 14, 2008IA93

Part 2: Expanding Low-skilled Employment One reason working-age welfare dependency remains high is that the...

Use tax cuts to boost super
Robert CarlingJanuary 16, 2008The Australian Financial Review

The Rudd government’s commitment to personal income tax cuts from July 2008 is being questioned...

Fiscal Illusion: How Big Government Makes Tax Look Small
December 12, 2007

Fiscal Illusion: How Big Government Makes Tax Look Small Fiscal illusion is the political art...

What are Low Ability Workers To Do When Unskilled Jobs Disappear? Part 1
Peter SaundersDecember 6, 2007IA91

Part 1: Why More Education and Training Isn’t the Answer Employers are reporting shortages of...

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...

Dr Stephen Kirchner – Hands, Mouths and Minds
May 19, 2011
Q&A Australia’s Urban Water Challenge Rebecca Gill
May 17, 2011
Q&A Australia’s Urban Water Challenge Rebecca Gill
May 17, 2011
Rebecca Gill – Australia’s Urban Water Challenge: A Drought of Ideas
May 2, 2011
Craig Emerson MP at the CIS
March 18, 2011
Tax, Borrow, Spend: How the States Compare – Robert Carling
February 15, 2011
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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