1. Philosophy

2. Research
    Climate change and energy  Tax reform debate  Centre for Future Work  The Australia Institute Tasmania 

3. Funding

4. Directors

5. References

6. External links

The Australia Institute is a progressive Australian think tank conducting public policy research on a broad range of economic, social, transparency and environmental issues in order to inform public debate and bring greater accountability to the democratic process.

The Australia Institute is based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

Philosophy

The Australia Institute describes itself as "one of the country’s most influential think tanks", as well as saying that:

The Institute is determined to push public debate beyond the simplistic question of whether markets or governments have all the answers to more important questions: When does government need to intervene in the market? When should it stand back? And when regulation is needed, what form should it take?^[2]

The Australia Institute has been described as left-leaning,^[3] independent,^[4] progressive^[5][6] or centrist.^[7]

Research

The Australia Institute's researchers are prominent commentators on public policy issues, including work on climate change and energy, emissions trading, taxation policy and inequality. The Australia Institute is also known for its work on environment, taxation, health, consumer affairs and trade practices.{{citation needed|date=January 2010}}

Climate change and energy

The Australia Institute is active in promoting global warming mitigation measures, and has been critical of the Australian federal government's perceived lack of action on climate change. The Australia Institute was critical of the Howard Government's decision to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. It claims that the former Prime Minister and some senior ministers deny the scientific evidence for global warming and that the resources sector drives government energy policy. Leaked minutes of a meeting between the Energy Minister, the Prime Minister and fossil fuel lobbyists provide evidence for these claims.^[8][9]

The Australia Institute has been active in promoting renewable energy development, and other mitigation measures, and it has campaigned strongly against developing a nuclear industry in Australia.^[10]

The Australia Institute criticised the Rudd Government's proposed Australian emissions trading scheme (or Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme), arguing that it failed to adequately take into account voluntary action and delivered excessive compensation to polluting industries.^[11]

The Australia Institute spoke positively of the design of the carbon price mechanism implemented by the Gillard Government, arguing that beginning with a fixed price and transitioning to an emissions trading scheme made sense given that there was no consensus about what the emissions reduction target should be.^[12]

In 2014, Ben Oquist (then the Australia Institute's Strategy Director) was involved in the Palmer United Party's decision to vote against the abolition of the Renewable Energy Target, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Climate Change Authority.^[13] Oquist wrote that "The Australia Institute is disappointed that the carbon price is likely to be repealed" but that "The Palmer-Gore announcement has re-set climate policy and politics. Keeping the CCA, the RET and the CEFC is much more than most expected from the PUP. We have avoided a big step backwards."^[14]

In 2017, the Australia Institute reported that Australia's greenhouse gas emissions were "rising rapidly" since the abolition of the carbon price, with economist Matt Grudnoff criticising the National Energy Guarantee proposed by the Turnbull Government, saying that it would be “likely to cause our emissions to rise even faster”.^[15]

In 2017, The Australia Institute took over The Climate Institute's intellectual property after that institute closed, and subsequently launched a Climate and Energy Program to continue the work.^[16][17] The first Climate of the Nation report produced by The Australia Institute was released in 2018.

Tax reform debate

The Australia Institute employs several economists^[18] who have published papers arguing for tax reform, particularly in the areas of superannuation tax concessions, negative gearing, capital gains tax and goods and services tax.^[19] During the Australian federal election, 2016, the Institute published a series of critiques of the Coalition's proposed policy of cutting the company tax rate.^[20]

The Australia Institute has also criticised the final two stages of the Turnbull Government's three-stage income tax cut plan, releasing research into how the benefits from the tax cut are distributed by income ^[21] and electorate.^[22]

Centre for Future Work

In 2016, the Australia Institute set up the [https://www.futurework.org.au/ Centre for Future of Work] "to conduct and publish progressive economic research on work, employment, and labour markets".^[23] Its founding director is Canadian economist Dr Jim Stanford.

The Australia Institute Tasmania

In 2017, the Australia Institute established The Australia Institute Tasmania with director Leanne Minshull, to "look at political, social and economic issues on a state level, and release research and polling on government policies and issues of the day".^[24]

Funding

The Australia Institute is independently funded by donations, mostly from philanthropic trusts and individuals, as well as grants and commissioned research from business, unions and non-government organisations.

In its first decade through to 2003, the Australia Institute was largely funded by the Poola Foundation and the Treepot Foundation—philanthropic organisations run by the Kantors.^[3] Other significant funders include the McKinnon Family Foundation; David Morawetz’s Social Justice Fund, a sub fund of the Australian Communities Foundation; Diana and Brian Snape AM and the Susan McKinnon Foundation.^[25]

In recent years, the Australia Institute has reported the number of donations it has received from individuals, with 2,000 individual donors in financial year 2015 ^[26] and 2,700 in financial year 2017.^[27]

The Australia Institute does not accept donations or commissioned work from political parties.^[2]

Directors

• Dr John McKinnon (Chair), NGO director and philanthropist
• Professor Barbara Pocock (Deputy Chair), Director, Centre for Work and Life, University of South Australia
• Dr Elizabeth Cham, former CEO of Philanthropy Australia (96-06)
• Dr David Morawetz, Clinical/Counseling Psychologist, Founder/Director of the Social Justice Fund
• Mr Andrew Dettmer, National President of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
• Mr Josh Bornstein, Head of National Employment and Industrial Law at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
• Dr Elizabeth Hill, Senior Lecturer, Political economy at the University of Sydney
• Ms Alex Sloan, award winning journalist, interviewer and facilitator.

Former board members include:

• Lin Hatfield Dodds, National Director, UnitingCare Australia
• Sarah Maddison (Chair), Senior Associate Dean, School of Politics and International Relations, University of New South Wales
• Tony McMichael, Professor, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University
• Meredith Edwards, Emeritus Professor, University of Canberra
• Sharan Burrow, President, Australian Council of Trade Unions
• Mark Wootton, Principal and Manager of Jigsaw Farms and Director of the Poola Charitable Foundation
• Hugh Saddler, Managing Director, Energy Strategies Limited
• Gerardine (Ged) Kearney, President, Australian Council of Trade Unions
• Ben Oquist, Executive Director, The Australia Institute
• Richard Denniss, Chief Economist, The Australia Institute
• Lee Thomas, Federal Secretary, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
• Max Neutze, Professor, Urban Research Program, Australian National University, inaugural chair

References

External links

• The Australia Institute website

• Air Headquarters Iraq
• Air Headquarters (Royal Pakistan Air Force)
• Airhead (Seaway song)
• Airhead (song)
• Airhead (stereotype)
• Airhead subculture
• Air heating system
• Air Highnesses
• Air Hill, Ohio
• Airhill, Ohio
• Air Hitam (disambiguation)
• Air Hollywood
• Air Horizont
• Air Hostess (1949 film)
• Air house
• Air HQ Communication Squadron, Indian Air Force
• Air Hunter
• Air I Breathe
• Air Iceland
• Air Iceland Connect destinations
• Air Iceland destinations
• Airick Crabill
• Airick Journey Crabill
• Airick Leonard West
• Airick L. West