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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.

Welfare Reform and Economic Development for Indigenous Communities
Noel PearsonOctober 25, 2005OP100

Noel Pearson’s lecture is to set out a case for a comprehensive reform agenda in...

Between Two Worlds. Australian Foreign Policy Responses to New and Old Security Dilemmas
David Martin JonesOctober 23, 2005OP97

Australian foreign policy is entering an era of complexity and strategic uncertainty. Globalisation has spawned...

Handouts won’t cure poverty
Wolfgang KasperOctober 11, 2005The Australian Financial Review

The Australian government has joined the turn-of-millennium drive to eliminate extreme Third World poverty a...

The Economics of Indigenous Deprivation and Proposals for Reform
Helen HughesSeptember 23, 2005IA63

The 450,000 Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders who make up Australia’s Indigenous population fall...

System not in the finest health
Peter SaundersSeptember 22, 2005The Australian Financial Review

As the welfare-to-work proposals are made public, Peter Saunders looks at the question of self-funding....

Tax cuts key to sustained economic growth
Christopher LingleSeptember 19, 2005The Japan Times

Political officials around the world, even in European welfare states, have discovered that offering tax...

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...

How to vandalise savings: the new superannuation tax | Robert Carling
Robert CarlingJuly 25, 2025

Australia’s new superannuation tax will target balances over $3 million. Yet, what seems like a...

Free Trade vs Tariffs: Jobs, Security, and the Cost of Living
Trisha JhaMay 14, 2025

Leading economists, historians, and policy experts delve into the complex world of tariffs, free trade,...

The Answer is Productivity | Tom Switzer
Tom SwitzerMay 8, 2025
To avoid a crisis, Australia should embrace sound market economics....
Less Crowded Houses. NZ’s housing policy success and implications for Australia
Emilie DyeFebruary 28, 2025

While house prices in Australia went up by more than 8% in 2023, prices in...

Solving the housing crisis | Stuart Donovan
Peter Tulip, Stuart DonovanFebruary 20, 2025

How can Australia tackle its housing affordability crisis? What lessons can we learn from New...

Government spending and inflation explained | Emilie Dye
Emilie Dye, Randall EvansOctober 2, 2024

Government is shooting itself in the foot when it comes to inflation. While the RBA...

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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