Up to a quarter of the retirement savings of some Australian workers are being eroded by excessive fees, according to this study. Fees and commissions on superannuation cost the country more than $14 billion per year. The case for a universal default superannuation fund reveals how a shake-up of the superannuation system could lead to...

The Rudd Government is at odds with a majority of Australians in prioritising the needs of business in its climate-change policy, according to this paper by The Australia Institute. In order to address climate change adequately, what is needed is an approach that incorporates the best of both worlds: the certainty and universality of a...

Everybody has a story to tell about telemarketing, writes Josh Fear.

Since July 2005, the great majority of Australia’s ten million workers have been able to choose their superannuation fund. When it was introduced, the Coalition Government represented the Choice of Fund policy as a major victory for consumers. In reality, the majority of Australians have derived little benefit from greater choice and competition in the...

To explore community attitudes to telemarketing and to measure the impact of the Do Not Call Register since its introduction, The Australia Institute conducted an online survey of 1,000 Australians. The findings show that: • Australians on average receive 8.5 unsolicited telemarketing calls per month. • The average telemarketing call lasts for 1.45 minutes. •...