Edited by the Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology

New Research

The unfinished business of Australian income tax reform

04 March 2010This report argues that personal income tax reform should be a result of the Henry Review along with the other policy areas it is targeting.

A bird's eye view of OECD housing markets

23 February 2010This paper documents housing market developments in 18 OECD countries in an historical perspective and investigates the interactions between housing markets and the wider economy.

Australia: towards a seamless national economy

16 February 2010Strong regulatory frameworks and sound policies have helped Australia weather the global crisis better than most OECD countries, according to this report, but further efforts are needed to harmonise regulations, strengthen competition and streamline infrastructure regulation.

Tax expenditures statement 2009

01 February 2010This statement provides details of concessions, benefits, incentives and charges provided through the tax system to taxpayers by the Australian government.
Changing taxes for changing times

Changing taxes for changing times

22 January 2010In this widely reported speech on tax reform, the Treasury head and chair of the Future Tax System Review Panel argues that for tax reform to be successful the community must understand, appreciate and generally support the reasons for change.

Per Capita tax survey: Public attitudes towards taxation and government expenditure

  • David Hetherington, Katherine Gregory
  • Per Capita
19 January 2010This report presents the results of a survey of over 1,000 people on public attitudes towards taxation in Australia.

Business & finance

Low Carbon Growth Plan for Australia

16 March 2010This report provides an economy-wide blueprint for how Australia can achieve an ambitious reduction in greenhouse gas emissions while building a growing low-carbon economy.

Evidence and perceptions of inequality in Australia

15 March 2010This paper considers the ways in which globalising economic forces have affected the level of income and wealth inequality within Australian society.

Income & wealth

The political economy of intergenerational income mobility

17 March 2010International comparisons of intergenerational mobility must take into account differences in politico-economic institutions, according to this study.

The impact of a sustained gender wage gap on the Australian economy

16 March 2010Pay inequity costs the Australian economy $93 billion per year, or 8.5% of GDP, according to this report.

Commentary

Who ends up footing the company tax bill?

19 March 2010The cost of Tony Abbott's parental leave plan will probably be passed on to consumers, writes Andrew Leigh

Big cuts and little cuts

03 March 2010It’s not so much the size of government spending that counts - it’s the quality, writes Brian Toohey in Inside Story

Mind the gap?

02 March 2010Should we care about the earnings gap between city professionals and the men and women who clean their offices, or is it enough to know that both groups are steadily getting richer, asks Andrew Leigh

Audio

Prevention pays

Listen to audio
07 October 2009There is an important trade-off for contemporary policy-makers between workforce participation and the valuable role that parents and carers play in developing the capabilities of our children, the head of Treasury argues in this paper. Poorly designed policies may create perverse incentives that affect their capabilities and those of their children.

Legislative changes to philanthropic funds sparks debate on disclosure

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31 August 2009 Private philanthropy in Australia has been enjoying a bit of a boom in recent years, as a growing number of wealthy families and individuals set up investment trusts and channel the profits into good works.

Employment

Compendium of workers' compensation statistics Australia 2007-08

19 March 2010The compendium provides a good indicator of Australia’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) performance in 2007–08 and allows trends in OHS performance over time to be analysed.

Comparison of workers' compensation arrangements in Australia and New Zealand

19 March 2010This comparison provides background to the evolution of workers' compensation arrangements in two jurisdictions and discusses the way that each scheme deals with coverage, benefits, return to work provisions, self-insurance, common law, dispute resolution and cross-border arrangements.

The added worker effect and the discouraged worker effect for married women in Australia

17 March 2010This paper investigates both the added worker effect (the labour supply responses of women to their partners’ job losses) and the discouraged worker effect (workers withdrawing from the labour market because of failed searches) for married women in Australia, with the emphasis on the former.

Video

Global warming - government subsidies, action, taxation, policy

Listen to audio
31 August 2009Future government policy, distortion of national energy markets with regulations, tax reliefs and direct subsidies.

Websites

Taxpayers Research Foundation

12 October 2009Taxpayers Australia is a not-for-profit educational institution that is not affiliated with any political party or any pressure group. The foundation aims to educate taxpayers via the media, educational publications and seminars on issues relating to tax and superannuation.

Events

Conference
24 Mar 2010 - 9:00am - 25 Mar 2010 - 5:30am
Darwin
Conference
25 Mar 2010 - 9:00am - 26 Mar 2010 - 5:00pm
Canberra
Conference
31 Mar 2010
Sydney

Books

Introducing China: the world's oldest great power charts its next comeback

Introducing China: the world's oldest great power charts its next comeback

  • Ron Huisken
  • ANU E Press
China's transformation has been patiently, methodically and very deliberately constructed by a leadership group that has equally carefully protected its monopoly on power.
Best Australian political cartoons 2009

Best Australian political cartoons 2009

  • Edited by Russ Radcliffe
  • Scribe Publications
The year in politics as seen by Australia’s funniest and most perceptive political cartoonists.