Australian women suffer a 'wage penalty' when they return to work after having a child, according to new research by the Australia Institute. In the first year back at work, women can expect to earn around four per cent less per hour on average than...

This paper considers how data-matching could also be used to improve the delivery of social security assistance payments rather than simply as a revenue raising exercise. One of the tools used by the government in pursuit of ‘welfare cheats’ is data-matching. The Data-matching Program cross-checks...

When sick, the doctor is the first port of call for most Australians. In 2009-10 one in five visits to a GP resulted in extra fees over and above the Medicare scheduled fee. An estimated $557 million extra were paid for these visits. While the...

Concession cards provide access to a range of welfare benefits additional to income support payments. While concession cards constitute an important means of accessing support, their efficacy is dependent upon cardholders using their cards. There are many questions relating to the determinants of card use...

The final report from the Productivity Commission into executive remuneration does not recommend any far-reaching changes that will address the excessiveness of executive pay in Australia. However, various policy options are available to rein in executive pay, including: removing the tax concession on capital gains...

Parenthood can be both a rewarding and challenging experience for new and expecting parents. During this time of transition, experiences of mental ill-health are common. This paper argues that stronger collaborative care and referral pathways are needed across perinatal and youth mental health systems to...

Despite eight in every ten Australians belonging to a co-op or mutual such as the NRMA or AustralianSuper, only 16 per cent realise it, according to this paper which maps the size and scope of mutually owned co-ops in Australia. Eight in every ten Australians...

Recent government approaches to childcare funding have been simple rather than innovative. Improvements in affordability have been short lived, with benefits quickly absorbed through higher costs charged to families. The result is an ongoing game of catch up between government and service providers with families...

The shock that property crime can cause is underestimated by most people – burglary victims, in particular, may experience a psychological trauma in addition to the loss of the property itself. Summary Property crime in Australia declined by more than half between 2001 and 2011...

Work/life balance continues to be an issue for many people with only three-out-of-ten people (3.4 million) reporting an improvement in the past five years, according to this report. Introduction Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard described work/life balance as a "BBQ-stopper" in 2001. Since...