The pharmacy sector is one of Australia’s most protected industries. Few countries have such complex and restrictive pharmaceutical scheduling laws as Australia. This has inhibited competition and increased the costs that Australian consumers pay for many non-prescription pharmaceuticals sold only by pharmacies. This industry is a standout candidate for micro-economic reform.

As politicians reaffirm their commitment to free trade at the G20 and APEC, this paper argues that they should make sure they practice what they preach. In Australia’s case, this means reforming restrictive rules on foreign direct investment. In a new report released by the Centre for Independent Studies on Thursday, economist Dr Stephen Kirchner...

Jennifer Buckingham examines the school report cards scheme being considered by the Australian government and recommends a balanced approach to performance incentives for Australian schools. The most controversial aspect of school report cards is the awarding of an overall letter grade of A, B, C, D or F to each school. In New York, under...

In February 2008, the federal government asked the Productivity Commission to recommend a national paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave scheme. In September, the commission released its draft report, calling for eighteen weeks of parental leave and two weeks of paternity leave. Mothers who did not qualify for parental leave would be eligible for a...

This essay asks whether there is an underlying philosophy of American and Australian conservatism: Is there a unified idea of what it means to be a conservative? Is conservatism a coherent political philosophy? And should it be dropped for something else? The author argues that fusing conservatism and libertarianism continues to work -- so ignore...