Archived publication for 1999
Recent publications
The Flap Over Butterflies
The flap of a butterfly's wings may or may not lead to a tornado. But the misuse of science for political effect can certainly lead to bad policy.
Ambush in Cyberspace
NGOs, the Internet and the MAI. The MAI story is a simple one, clearly set out in Professor David Henderson's recent essay, The MAI Affair: A Story and Its Lessons.
Competition Policy: Bringing the Community Along
The public interest needs more defenders- particularly business defenders.
Editorial, June 1999
Public debate in Australia is very notably marked by the ad hominen style- playing the man, not the ball.
From the Executive Director - Poverty.con.au
Hardly a week goes by without another story of high and escalating rates of poverty in Australia... so, whats really going on?
Genetically Modified Food
Spreading fear of the future can be good for anti-business. Fear of genetically modified (GM) food has become so widespread in the UK that Sainsbury's chain of stores has undertaken not to stock it.
Global Warming and the ABC
A pernicious mixture of science and environmentalism. Global warming is arguably the most significant environmental concern of the '90s.
Jobs Created... and Destroyed
The unemployed need jobs. Unfortunately, many people are employed to make sure they are less likely to get them.
Redundancies: The Money and the Box
Current redundancy law means that people can have their cake and eat it too... People with jobs no longer resign; instead they manipulate their tasks in order to make their jobs redundant and to get a package.
Should Negative Gearing Be Abolished?
Aome academic commentators and the social welfare lobby regard negative gearing as primarily a tax avoidance device.