This report calculates that Australia could add more than $50 billion to its annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by improving educational outcomes for students in regional, rural and remote areas of the country.

Governments make expenditure decisions on a diverse range of items yet there is no common “language” for evaluating the social return of these different expenditures. This report provides a method – Social Return Accounting – for evaluating all government expenditures on a level playing field.

This report proposes a new scheme, ‘Social Emergency Lending,’ to help Australian households under financial stress borrow money at very low interest rates.

Australia enjoys a remarkable benefit from its multi-faceted, two-way investment relationship with the United States. And while Australia’s trade relationships, particularly in the region, are vital to continued growth and prosperity, the United States remains Australia’s indispensable economic partner.

Executive Summary The strength of Australia’s economy and the opportunities it affords everyday citizens in a global context today is unarguable: our country has enjoyed over two decades of economic growth, with all classes of Australians enjoying the associated benefits. But it is becoming increasingly clear to economists, policy makers and the general public that...