Centre for Independent Studies

The Australian taxpayer pays considerable support for people in need, but the problems of poverty seem intractable. So, what other issues should we be thinking through? Family breakdown, drug and alcohol abuse, indigenous disadvantage, poor educational outcomes all feed into the current culture of poverty that seems impossible to resolve. New and creative intellectual policy ideas need to be consi...

Poor behaviour in schools is a significant factor undermining student achievement. International data suggests behaviour in Australian schools is among the worst in the world, and reviews have found many teachers are not given practical, evidence-based classroom management strategies in initial teacher education courses. Strong, supportive school leadership is crucial. Schools with high standards...

Mr Abbott says that the biggest regret of his prime ministership was the government's failure to consider acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and, even now, ponders whether this is a debate we need to have. In his time as Prime Minister, the carbon tax and the mining tax were repealed; free trade agreements were finalised with China, Japan and Korea; and the people smuggling trade from Indonesia...

Today almost everyone affirms the importance of ‘values’ but few would insist these are shared moral essentials. How is it that the most common term of our political and even private moralities became so relativistic and what, if anything, could be offered as an alternative? Law Professor, cultural observer and theorist on religion and pluralism, Professor Iain Benson, offers us some insights and...

Before his retirement from politics, Andrew Robb was Australia’s Minister for Trade and Investment in the Abbott and Turnbull Government. In this role Mr Robb negotiated Free Trade Agreements, investment roundtables and created Strategic Partnerships in our region and abroad. As we approach the first 100 day mark of the Trump administration, it is timely to remember that the biggest impact of Pres...

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check; implementation of the Shanghai model of maths education in thousands of schools; and the expansion of free schools and academies. These reforms and others were driven by evidence of how children learn and policies that maximise opportun...

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check; implementation of the Shanghai model of maths education in thousands of schools; and the expansion of free schools and academies. These reforms and others were driven by evidence of how children learn and policies that maximise opportun...

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check; implementation of the Shanghai model of maths education in thousands of schools; and the expansion of free schools and academies. These reforms and others were driven by evidence of how children learn and policies that maximise opportun...

How does the recent tsunami of populism differ from the past waves? Why are traditional political parties of the centre-right and the centre-left struggling to hold on to their constituencies? At the heart of the challenges they face is the rise of populist movements — ones that straddle the left/right divide, combining elements of nationalism and social conservatism with the defence of entitlemen...

The contemporary western feminist movement has lost its way. Over the past century the feminist movement has achieved remarkable advances in securing equal rights for women in the West, but in other regions around the world women are still treated as second class citizens, the recent push for gender-equal traffic lights in Melbourne has trivialised the important issue of gender equality. Rather th...

In his first speech since retiring, and in light of the Fair Work Commission’s ruling to reform Sunday penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors, Graeme Watson spoke on his more than 10 years’ experience as Vice President of the Commission. Recently described as ‘one of the most brilliant industrial lawyers of his time’, his letter of resignation to Employment Minister Michaelia Cash out...

Most explanations offered for Donald Trump’s ‘inexplicable’ victory in the American Presidential election have resorted to crude stereotypes about the opinions and attitudes of the ‘Deplorables’ – the AKA ‘low information voters’ who voted #1 for Trump. These explanations – which are offered by the same kinds of ‘insiders’ who probably thought the NSW Greyhound Racing Ban was a great idea (until i...

Most explanations offered for Donald Trump’s ‘inexplicable’ victory in the American Presidential election have resorted to crude stereotypes about the opinions and attitudes of the ‘Deplorables’ – the AKA ‘low information’ voters’ who voted #1 for Trump. These explanations – which are offered by the same kinds of ‘insiders’ who probably thought the NSW Greyhound Racing Ban was a great idea (until...

US President Donald Trump is proposing sweeping tax cuts that will affect every other country. Australia is not well placed to respond, with a lack of major tax reform since 2001. By contrast, Canada has been a successful tax reformer, with the federal-provincial corporate tax rate falling from 43% in 2001 to 27% in 2016 and the virtual elimination of capital taxes, amongst other policies. How wil...

The CIS hosted the book launch of Bill Leak's book 'Trigger Warning' just 3 days before he died, with special guest Sir Les Patterson. ____________________ The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make...

The CIS hosted the book launch of Bill Leak's book 'Trigger Warning' just 3 days before he died, with special guest Sir Les Patterson. ____________________ The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make...

With monetary and fiscal policy instruments overextended, reforms to enhance our economy’s supply-side performance have become more necessary than ever if economic stagnation and declining living standards are to be averted. On leaving the Productivity Commission in 2012, Gary assembled a ‘to do list’ of pro-productivity reforms drawn from Commission reviews. Have many been ticked off by now? Alas...

Federal Member for Higgins, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Hon Kelly O'Dwyer talks at the CIS about the urgent need for company tax cuts and a focus on income tax reform. ____________________ The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics,...

They said he could never win – but since January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump has been the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia. The CIS panel event - including Ross Cameron - examined the crisis in ‘Est...

They said he could never win – but from January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump officially became the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia. This special CIS panel event examined the crisis in ‘Establishment...

They said he could never win – but since January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump has been the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia. The CIS panel event - including Louise Clegg - examined the crisis in ‘Est...

They said he could never win – but since January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump has been the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia. The CIS panel event - including Tom Switzer - examined the crisis in ‘Esta...

They said he could never win – but since January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump has been the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia. The CIS panel event - including experts Louise Clegg, Ross Cameron & T...

Despite the ever-escalating cost of health posing severe fiscal sustainability challenges, health reform has been dumped even more firmly in the politically too-hard basket since the ‘Mediscare’ federal election. A politically-feasible reform strategy is required to catalyse much-needed innovation in the health sector and deliver more cost-effective healthcare. Dr Peta Seaton, health consultant an...

Despite the ever-escalating cost of health posing severe fiscal sustainability challenges, health reform has been dumped even more firmly in the politically too-hard basket since the ‘Mediscare’ federal election. A politically-feasible reform strategy is required to catalyse much-needed innovation in the health sector and deliver more cost-effective healthcare. Gerald Thomas, health entrepreneur,...