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• Government Spending

Governments spend taxpayers’ money on a wide range of programmes from education to defence and from welfare to infrastructure. Yet there can be too much of a good thing, and some government spending is just wasteful. How can we ensure that taxpayers are getting value for money?

Beyond the Current Pessimism
Ray BallAugust 5, 1987OP18

Professor Ray Ball gives a personal interpretation of the historical roots of Australia’s economic malaise....

The Economics of Bureacracy and Statutory Authorities
Gordon TullockJanuary 1, 1983PF1
Lessons from the Ord
B.R. DavidsonJanuary 1, 1982PM2

Readers will draw their own various conclusions from these two modest but compelling essays. It...

The Rhetoric and Reality of Income Redistribution
Gordon TullockSeptember 25, 1981OP5

Income distribution is an overwhelming part of the program of all governments. Too often, however,...

Keeping Budgets on the Rails: Rules for Fiscal Responsibility
Robert CarlingNovember 13, 2025AP94

Executive Summary Fiscal rules are numerical limits to one or more of government spending, revenue,...

An economic walk on the supply side
Michael StutchburyOctober 16, 2025OP208

This is an edited version of Michael Stutchbury’s keynote address to the 2025 Freedom to...

Addressing Australia’s Productivity Problem. CORE Blueprint to Unshackle Productivity
Jim CoxAugust 14, 2025AP86

Introduction There is no one action that will lift Australia’s dwindling productivity growth; it is...

The Productivity Problem. Australia’s Growth Slump Is Undermining Prosperity
Jim CoxAugust 7, 2025AP85

Executive summary Concern over Australia’s slow rate of productivity growth is justified as it is...

Leviathan on the Rampage: Government spending growth a threat to Australia’s economic future
Robert CarlingJuly 23, 2025AP84

Executive summary The rising trend of government expenditure in Australia has long been present but...

hurdles
Economic challenges ahead for the government
Robert Carling, Gene Tunny, Peter TulipJune 19, 2025IA153

The re-elected federal government faces a long list of economic challenges, some of them created...

Australia needs a fiscal State of Origin clash, not failed cooperative federalism
Simon CowanOctober 28, 2017The Canberra Times

Because Queensland have won 11 of the last 12 State of Origin rugby league series,...

Free market strategy to solve societal problems
Josephine CashmanOctober 20, 2017Ideas@TheCentre

People seem to have lost faith in both the free market and in government. Capitalism...

Indigenous service structures slowing progress
Charles JacobsOctober 20, 2017Ideas@TheCentre

A new QLD Productivity Commission report echoes CIS findings that a convoluted labyrinth of programs...

Bill Shorten’s ‘grand bargain’ between business and unions will harm everyone
Simon CowanOctober 14, 2017Canberra Times

Bill Shorten’s call this week for another ‘grand bargain’ between business, unions and parliament should...

Indigenous corporations’ governance confusion
Charles JacobsOctober 6, 2017Ideas@TheCentre

Internal misunderstandings are threatening to undermine genuine efforts to develop economic independence on Indigenous lands....

Coalition must stop gaming budget forecasts if it wants credibility
Simon CowanSeptember 30, 2017The Canberra Times

In recent years, the release of updated budget data has rarely been cause for celebration....

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Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service
Simon Cowan, Eugenie JosephAugust 1, 2018
Submission to the National Commission of Audit
Alexander Philipatos, Jennifer Buckingham OAM, Jeremy Sammut, Robert Carling, Simon Cowan, Stephen Kirchner, Trisha JhaApril 1, 2014T30.08

The federal government’s Commission of Audit (CoA) was established in 2013 to review the performance...

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012
Andrew BakerJanuary 25, 2013

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill...

Submission to the COAG Select Council on Disability Reform on NDIS ‘eligibility and reasonable and necessary support’ criteria
Andrew BakerSeptember 10, 2012

Submission to the COAG Select Council on Disability Reform on NDIS ‘eligibility and reasonable and...

Submission to Native Title Leading Practice Agreements Discussion Paper 2010
Helen Hughes, Mark Hughes, Sara HudsonNovember 30, 2010

The Native Title process is only one of the processes returning land to traditional owners....

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