Executive summary: Behavioural taxes are taxes that are designed to influence behaviour against consumption. The application of behavioural taxes is fundamentally illiberal. They interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals to make choices about their own consumption. Behavioural taxes generally take the form of excise taxes. Australia has a complicated and inconsistent form of...

Alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in public spaces is a complex policy problem for Australian governments, which seek a balance between acknowledging the significant contribution made by the liquor industry to Australia’s economy and the harms and costs that are associated with alcohol consumption. The ‘alcohol problem’ is one that goes beyond the capacity of...

In 2006, the State Services Authority released a report on 'The Future of the Public Sector' in 2025. The report identified seven future issues and challenges for the public sector. One of these was fostering agility to support a high performing public sector. The uncertainty that the future holds means that the public sector cannot...

Behavioural economics is economists satisfying themselves intellectually of truths about economic agents' behaviour that are readily understood by marketers and politicians. It is the scientific study of intuition which, because of the way the human brain has evolved, heavily influences our decision making. Behavioural economics reveals conventional economics to be normative rather than positive. Economists'...

This publication presents real-world case studies to combine theory and practice to describe the economic structural and behavioural characteristics of sectors integral to the construction industry performance. It details 'everyday' experiences and procurement decisions made by people in firms in the industry related to projects as they seek out other firms to work with during...