Media Releases

Carbon Capture & Storage Fails Again: International Energy Agency Report

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has failed to meet any global or local targets, according to new research from The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program.

The release of The Australia Institute report coincides with today’s International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook report which suggests there is still a role for CCS, continuing the organisation’s love affair with the technology.

Posted on:

19 November 2018

SA Shaping as Senate Showdown State for Next Election

New Analysis from The Australia Institute has predicted that South Australia will play a key role in the next Federal Election, with a range of parties and candidates vying for a handful of seats in the Senate that will likely hold significant weight in balance of power outcomes in the new Parliament.

"When it comes to the Senate, all eyes will be on South Australia come election night," said Noah Schultz-Byard, SA Projects Manager at The Australia Institute.

"South Australia has a strong history of supporting independent, micro and minor party candidates and our analysis shows there's a high chance of that happening once again in 2019.

Posted on:

19 November 2018

Crossbench Tipped for Senate ‘Balance of Power’ After Next Election

New analysis from The Australia Institute has shown that, even under the most optimistic predictions for a potential future Labor Government, it will likely still need to work with the Greens and at least one or two members of the crossbench to get legislation passed through the Senate.

With the Coalition similarly incapable of taking control of the Senate in their own right, based on current predictions, the crossbench will almost certainly continue to play a significant role in Australian politics, with a few key Senators poised to wield significant power after the next election.

Posted on:

19 November 2018

Frackmail? $260 million NT deal rushed as fracking ban overturned

New research from The Australia Institute shows that, while treasurer, Scott Morrison rushed a $260 million deal with the Northern Territory Government through in a matter of days, at exactly the same time that the NT announced it would overturn its moratorium on fracking.

The report shows that even under FOI the Government has blocked access to numerous documents regarding the deal, including a letter from Morrison to the NT Government where he first committed to the $260 million in funding, sent three days after the moratorium was lifted.

The report outlines:

Posted on:

15 November 2018

Government putting cart before horse on new energy investments

The Government program to underwrite new generation investments presents a number of risks that could jeopardise rather than improve the reliability and affordability of electricity, with the key question around whether the Government even has the authority to do so.

In a submission to the Department of Energy, The Australia Institute has questioned why the Government is seeking interest before the program is designed and whether it lacks the legislative mandate to proceed with the full suite of loans and contracts proposed.

Posted on:

14 November 2018

Anti-Corruption Watchdog Needs Teeth, Analysis of State Bodies Shows

New analysis from The Australia Institute has shown that the different designs of various anti-corruption bodies at a State level yield significantly different results and has reinforced the need for a proposed Federal body to have adequate resourcing and powers.

A panel of former judges that make up The Australia Institute’s National Integrity Committee have supported the report and are calling for the establishment of a National Integrity Commission with broad jurisdiction and strong investigative powers, including public hearings.

“A watchdog with no teeth would be a terrible outcome,” Ben Oquist, Executive Director of The Australia Institute, said.

Posted on:

14 November 2018

Negative Gearing Gains Largely for the Wealthy, Despite SA Scare Campaign

Looking purely at the number of people who use negative gearing in South Australian electorates, rather than who makes the most money from the scheme, is an intentionally misleading way to analyse the impacts of potential changes to the policy, an independent think tank has said.

“New research from The Australia Institute has shown that nationally the top 20% of income earners get half of the financial benefit from negative gearing and that those over 40 years-old enjoy more than 70% of the income that results from the policy,” Noah Schultz-Byard, The Australia Institute’s South Australian Projects Manager said.

Posted on:

8 November 2018

Negative Gearing: Double-Hit for Under 40s

New analysis from The Australia Institute shows that the biggest winners of negative gearing are high income earners and Liberal Party held electorates, meanwhile it presents a double-hit for under 40s who are the biggest losers.

Key results:

Posted on:

7 November 2018

LNG and Transport Lead Growth in Australian Emissions: National Energy Emissions Audit

The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program has released the latest National Energy Emissions Audit for the electricity sector (The Audit*) covering September 2018.

The Audit shows that Australia’s emissions continue to increase, being driven by growing LNG exports, greater diesel use in transport and increases in agriculture and waste emissions

Key findings:

Posted on:

6 November 2018

Secret Weapon Overlooked in Fight Against Financial Misconduct

A potent tool for cleaning up misconduct in the industry is being overlooked by the Royal Commission into financial services.

The Centre for Future Work has proposed to the Commission that a system of sector-wide collective bargaining in the financial industry could establish clear and ethical benchmarks for compensation, avoiding the problem of ‘conflicted remuneration’, which is behind much of the misconduct the Royal Commission has exposed.

The Centre for Future Work’s submission to the Royal Commission proposes a uniform compensation system, to apply across the whole industry, consistent with the principles of ethical banking:

Posted on:

5 November 2018

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