The Australia Institute

"I don't know of a single MP that I've spoken to...who hasn't received some sort of violent threat. "But the threats that I hear [about] from women are particularly personal. "They are completely dehumanising & they come all the time." - @amyremeikis.bsky.social 🎧 theaus.in/4kdbNut

“Offsets are designed to allow business as usual at bargain prices for Australia’s biggest polluters,” Research Director Rod Campbell in The Australian. For more on why offsets are dodgy, listen to this episode of What's the Point? ⤵️ australiainstitute.org.au/post/whats-the-point-of-offsets/

AI is based on the business model of creating mass unemployment, where businesses lay off millions of workers and replace them with AI subscriptions instead. Richard breaks the issues down further on “What’s the Point?"! ⤵️ australiainstitute.org.au/post/whats-the-point-of-data-centres/

We are so locked into believing that the market must not be questioned that we just assume everything is happening as it should, but right now Australians are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis while gas exporters post record profits. Read the full article on the Guardian website!

The drawn-out war in the Middle East has enabled Woodside to significantly increase gas prices, which The Australia Institute estimates has driven the company’s profit up by around $1.3 billion in three months compared to the same time last year. Read more on our website!

While the 2,500 jobs cuts are horrific enough for the workers and their families, worse still is the commentary that this is due to increased use of AI. The productivity “benefits” of AI are about cutting jobs and raising profits rather than living standards for Australians.

Materialism, loving the things you own, is often something we’re taught to be ashamed of, and is seen as a negative trait. In the latest episode of “What’s the Point?” co-CEO Richard Denniss shows us how caring for our things is actually the cure to a lot of our economic problems.

We all know deep down that buying stuff just to chuck it out for the newest thing is wasteful, expensive, and bad for the economy, but is it a policy problem, or a personal problem? Co-CEO Richard Denniss explores the root of the issue in the latest episode of “What’s the Point?”.

It's time to stop the expansion of fossil fuels. 🎤co-CEO Leanne Minshull Join the call for a national plebiscite on a 25% tax on gas exports: https://gas-plebiscite.australiainstitute.org.au

“There are people out there who are angry at the moment. There are people out there who think democracy can’t possibly deliver nice things when the reality is it can” – co-CEO Richard Denniss speaking at the Revenue Summit at Parliament House this week.

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a phrase a lot of us remember, but most businesses only want you to listen to the “Recycle” part. Co-CEO Richard Denniss reminds us of the incredibly important other two elements in the latest episode of “What’s the Point?”.

"Public housing is part of the solution here." @barbarapocock.bsky.social says reversing the "massive crash" in public housing supply is part of the solution to Australia's housing crisis. Hear more on Follow the Money with @ebonybennett.bsky.social. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4y9JHDV

"Australia does get listened to in Washington DC. "Our voice does carry some weight. So this is kind of the time to use it." Journalist Ben Doherty on Australia's opportunity to stand up for its values in response to the Trump administration. @emmashortis.bsky.social #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4rZfZjk

“Hoping that the far right goes away or implodes again is not actually a strategy, but acknowledging and acting on the pressures that people are under, delivering better and more tangible outcomes for them, is. And that's our approach.” - Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP at the Bernie Fraser Oration.

Centre for Future Work CEO Ben Spies-Butcher tells the #RevenueSummit26 that wealth needs to be, and can be, taxed better in Australia.

Director of the Centre for Policy Studies at Victoria University, Professor Janine Dixon, tells the #RevenueSummit26 about the need to tax artificial intelligence companies, and put those systems in place early, to ensure that Australians do see benefit from the AI boom.

Independent Economist Saul Eslake has called the GST sweetheart deal for WA the worst public policy decision of the 21st century. #RevenueSummit26

“The defining intergenerational issue in our economy is housing… Now, our broad package of tax reforms to make the housing market fairer for young people is more important and more urgent now than the day that we announced it.” - Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP at the Bernie Fraser Oration last night.

How could you use the $17 billion raised (annually!) from a 25% gas export tax? Catelyn Richards from the nurses and midwives union says healthcare could be greatly improved. Dr Terri Macdonald from the NTEU says universities could be fee-free. #RevenueSummit26

National Secretary of the Maritime Union, Thomas Mayo, says revenue raised from a 25% tax on gas exports would not only improve services, but could also be used to increase investment in renewable energy. #RevenueSummit26

“A key mistake made by parties of the left is that in their defence of democracy and institutions, they've also become the party of the status quo… But the status quo is harder for the people that we represent, and that’s why we’re changing it.” - Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP at the Bernie Fraser Oration.

Tenant's Union of NSW CEO Leo Patterson Ross has told the #RevenueSummit26 that renters need more support, and people are having to make difficult choices and are moving away from their local networks because they can't afford to live in their communities.

"We can't fix the housing crisis without (tax reform)", says Maiy Azize from Everybody's Home and Anglicare. #RevenueSummit26

Australia Institute Senior Economist Matt Grudnoff,tells the #RevenueSummit26 the CGT, introduced by the Howard government in 1999, greatly contributed to housing inequality, and that Labor's recent changes have brought house prices down while ensuring investment in new homes.

"GST revenue is declining as a share of the economy", says ACT Treasurer Chris Steel MLA. In an address to the #RevenueSummit26, Chris Steel said GST revenue is declining and a growing share of service costs is being shifted to the states and territories.

Megan Spindler-Smith, Acting CEO of People With Disability Australia, said budgets are about choices, and a 25% tax on gas exports could help vulnerable Australians. Australia Institute research shows that tax could raise $17 billion every year. #RevenueSummit26

"Over 300,000 people will lose access to the NDIS by the end of the decade... thousands of jobs are at risk." Muriel Cummins from Every Australian Counts has given the #RevenueSummit26 a sense of the scale of the cuts and how much it hurts people with disability.

"These are human rights issues... can we afford the consequences of cuts (to the NDIS)?" Sophie Cusworth, CEO of Women with Disabilities Australia, tells the #RevenueSummit26 Australians need to think about what kind of country we want to be

“There is so much momentum for 25 per cent tax on gas." - Leanne Minshull, co-CEO of The Australia Institute. Australia Institute research shows a flat 25% gas export tax could raise $17 billion a year. #RevenueSummit26

“There’s almost no opposition to it... people really support this as a policy issue." - Australia Institute Deputy Director @ebonybennett.bsky.social on a 25% tax on gas exports, which could raise $17 billion every year. #RevenueSummit26

Why didn’t Australia follow Norway’s lead and make sure gas wealth benefits the public? At the #RevenueSummit26, Independent MP Nicolette Boele called the decision not to create a similar regime to Norway "irresponsible". A 25% gas export tax could raise $17bn every year.

Back at the #RevenueSummit26, our Chief Economist Greg Jericho says a 25% tax on gas exports would make a huge difference to the budget. “If we had a 25% tax on gas exports as of this morning, we would have been up to $78 billion.” Live tracker: gas.australiainstitute.org.au

“While people work hard, sometimes at multiple jobs and pay their tax, almost 30% of large companies pay no tax” Senator Barbara Pocock delivering keynote address at #RevenueSummit26 @australiainstitute.org.au

Speaking at the #RevenueSummit26, Greens Senator @barbarapocock.bsky.social said "nowhere is the perverted nature of our tax system more clear" than when it comes to gas. "Every day we fail to tax our gas exports we lose $50 million and every year we lose $17 billion," Senator Pocock said.

"Tax things you want less of and subsidise things you want more of" - Dr Richard Denniss tells the #RevenueSummit26. For more follow The Point's live blog: live.thepoint.com.au

The #RevenueSummit26 is underway in Canberra! In his opening remarks, Australia Institute co-CEO Dr Richard Denniss explains about how Australia is a low-tax country, and how budgets are about choices, despite what Australians have been told for years.

"It's hugely popular. The community wants it. They're sick of gas companies getting Australian's gas for free," Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young talking about a 25% gas export tax on ABC 7.30. Join the call for a national plebiscite: https://gas-plebiscite.australiainstitute.org.au/

Why is the Australian government unprepared to “back its own values” with Trump's America? Journalist Ben Doherty joins @emmashortis.bsky.social to discuss the Trump administration’s sanctions on the International Criminal Court & the US military footprint in Australia. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/4rZfZjk

New analysis reveals the positive impact this year’s property tax changes have had on those who’d previously been locked out of the housing market. Learn more https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/turning-point-new-analysis-reveals-tax-changes-are-reversing-25-years-of-housing-policy-failure/

Australia Institute analysis shows Australia is on the verge of its “biggest improvement in housing affordability in 50 years”. Read more here: https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/turning-point-new-analysis-reveals-tax-changes-are-reversing-25-years-of-housing-policy-failure/

"Countries with higher tax rates report the highest levels of economic wellbeing, average income, life expectancy, education, and lower rates of inequality," writes Ebony Bennett. Read more: https://theaus.in/4zstXgn

"The key to keeping Australians safe is... AI companies, like other companies, need to pay for the harm that they cause." Sign the petition now to tell the government to stand firm and make Big Tech pay for the harms it inflicts on Australians: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/big-tech