The busiest shopping weekend of the year is upon us, where shopping malls become a desperate frenzy of overindulgence and waste. But spare a thought for those who can’t afford even the trimmest of trimmings this Christmas.

The Australia Institute surveyed 1,009 Australians between 13 and 15 November 2024 about their attitudes to future property prices. The margin of error is ±3%. Key findings: About as many Australians want property prices to decrease in the future (36%) as want them to increase (33%). One in five (18%) want them to stay the

Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related illness and death in all parts of Australia, except Tasmania. Older, poorer, and sicker people are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. Our new report identifies the locations around Australia in which the greatest number of vulnerable people will be affected by extreme heat. Targeting these areas for support will ensure the greatest number of vulnerable people are helped during periods of extreme heat.

This month, the Australian economic debate was hijacked by a report from the world’s most powerful consulting firm: McKinsey & Co. The consulting firm apparently found that declining living standards represent a “national emergency” – and the care economy, regulations and Australia’s corporate tax rate are to blame for low productivity growth. The only problem?

It’s official: the Reserve Bank of Australia will have its board split in two, and two new appointees will join the reconfigured monetary policy board, whose job it is to make decisions on interest rates. The move was recommended by an independent review panel in 2023. The new members of the monetary policy board, one

The Australia Institute is calling on the Reserve Bank of Australia to meet in January, before its next scheduled meeting on February 17-18, 2025.

The people of Australia collectively own all the resources under the ground. This means that the coal in NSW is the property of the Australian people too. Because of this, mining companies have to pay the NSW Government a “royalty” if they want to dig up and sell coal. Royalties are not taxes. They are

Coal royalties do little to fund schools, hospitals, teachers or nurses, despite frequent claims to the contrary from politicians and the mining industry, new research from The Australia Institute has found.

Australians are hungry to grow their own food and the reasons are simple: growing your own food is healthier and better for the planet. Whether it’s herb pots on a windowsill or a rambling backyard veggie patch, Australians say that growing some of their own food makes them feel better, eat better and tread lighter on the planet.

We answer your burning questions about the economy in the final episode of 2024.

No-one in Australia should have to live on $56 a day. The current Jobseeker payment is inadequate by every metric, and the majority of families that rely on it live below the poverty line.

Australia is one of the lowest-taxing countries in the developed world.

Houses should be a place to live, not a ladder to wealth.

How is Australia’s system unfair? If you get caught speeding in Australia, you will be fined with a flat-rate traffic fine. Exceeding the speed limit by 12km/h in New South Wales earns you a $361 fine, whether you are on government benefits or a billionaire. This is not a fair system. What about the principle:

The Reserve Bank of Australia had a great opportunity to give Australians – and the nation’s sluggish economy – something both desperately needed before Christmas. But, once again, the RBA has failed. By leaving interest rates on hold at 4.35%, the Reserve Bank has failed to do what is right for Australians. It has failed

The Australia Institute has launched a petition encouraging Australians to support Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to keep her promise of no more animal extinctions under her watch.

South Australian public servants are 10% worse off now than they were five years ago, despite the state’s booming economy, according to new research by The Australia Institute.

Will the RBA cut interest rates tomorrow? Probably not. It’s Groundhog Day and they’re locked into repeatedly making to same mistake over and over again. A mistake that the recent RBA review criticised them for making just before the pandemic.

Salmon companies are ripping off Tasmania and trying to pass it off as yet another ‘jobs vs environment’ fight. This is the kind of fight that Tasmanian politicians love to have, and like performing seals, the Tasmanian government and opposition have lined up to bark and do their tricks. But the fight over salmon farming

More than a quarter (27%) of Australians will this year get a Christmas present they’ll never use or wear.

Immigration and public spending are barely keeping Australia out of a recession.

Just 24 hours after The Australia Institute exposed the salmon lobby’s lies in the debate over fish farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, more misinformation has been spread by those with a vested interest.

The NSW Government is currently spending significantly more public money promoting coal than helping regional communities’ transition away from it, according to new research by the Australia Institute.

The Wrap with Amy Remeikis Truth and trust can be funny things. Holding someone’s trust means people believe what you say to be true. Speaking the truth consistently wins people’s trust. But trust isn’t always treated with the deference it should be.  Too often it can be abused, with truth usually the first to pay

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek vowed that there would be no more extinctions under her watch. But the Australian Workers Union has vowed that no species is more important than a single job.

New research from The Australia Institute shows that older, sicker and lower-income Australians are at greater risk during heatwaves (days over 35° Celsius).