Recent publications
Referendum disaster for democracy in Australia: Institute of Public Affairs
The text of the Gillard government's referendum proposal confirms the worst held fears that Canberra is intent on controlling local government, according to free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. ‘The proposed seemingly...
IPA: Canberra council grab a disaster for democracy and rates
"Constitutional recognition of local government will lead to a federal takeover of local laws, lead to rate increases, expansion of bad and petty laws and corrode Australian democracy," said Tim Wilson, policy director at free market think tank,...
Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the National Access Regime
Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the National Access Regime
Legal rights stripped under changes to anti-doping laws
"The Gillard government's proposed changes to anti-doping laws would give police-like investigative powers to anti-doping bureaucrats and strip away legal rights, such as the right to silence," said Simon Breheny, director of the Legal Rights...
Coalition's Northern vision welcomed
The Coalition's draft discussion paper on Developing Northern Australia, reported in today's media, is a welcome recognition of the potential for Northern Australia to be the driving force of the Australian economy in coming decades, according to...
Consumer first supermarket reform: The market, not government, knows how to best meet consumer demand
Consumer first supermarket reform: The market, not government, knows how to best meet consumer demand
Gillard government misleads public over proposed anti-discrimination law
"The Gillard government has misled the public over proposed changes to anti-discrimination law," said Simon Breheny, Director of the Legal Rights Project at the free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. The...
The big government merry-go-round
Unintentional self-parody has long being a forte of governments around the world. Yet a movement in recent years to create multi-layered government and quasi-governmental agencies, each existing simply to lobby each other to in turn lobby other...
Should government force companies to be responsible?
Since at least the 1960s, advocates have called for firms to be socially responsible. Governments have responded. But what does it mean for firms to be socially responsible? And do government subsidies and regulations help? Calls for firms to be...
The Chinese capitalist miracle
The Chinese economic miracle is the latest and most comprehensive success story since the end of World War II. Veteran economists Ronald Coase and Ning Wang explain how in the space of three decades one of the world's poorest countries became the...