Opinion & Commentary
Opinion and Commentary contains media articles written by CIS researchers.
Categories
Happiness, Kylie-style
Just in case any of you are finding the world a little hard-to-bear at the moment, take heart—a better life can be legislated. At least this is what one adviser to the Australian Democrats believes....... Read More
Paying for a future by degrees
To the best of my knowledge, no government in the world has privatised education. Yet the arguments for privatising education, be it primary, secondary, or tertiary, are at least as strong as they are...... Read More
A tax credit system should be the basis for funding education
There is not much for parents or schools to get excited about in the education policies of either of the major parties. As usual, both have taken the middle road, with one leaning slightly toward facilitating...... Read More
Why education free-for-all doesn't have the numbers
Reaction to last week’s Senate report, ‘Universities in Crisis’, shows how tenacious hope can be despite many years of disappointment.... Read More
When black is very definitely not white
A little while back, in these pages, I considered the question of whether I should advise one of my children to become an economist.... Read More
Guts to say no before it's too late
Why such a panic about a mere 430 boat people? Given the scale of the problem, was it not absurd that millions of taxpayer’s dollars should be spent on it? How farcical that a substantial part of...... Read More
A reminder of darker times
It has been said that those who lack the imagination of disaster are doomed to be surprised by the world. Many people have been so surprised by the awful happenings of this week, brought home to us –...... Read More
Time to reconsider our US ties
You win one, you lose one. Immediately after coming out of the Tampa affair well ahead politically, John Howard found that the main purpose of his trip to Washington - the negotiation of an agreement on...... Read More
Modern perils in a lucky country
What is the state of our nation? For the most part, Australians are better off than they have ever been before. On average, the people of Australia are healthier, wealthier, more educated and more active...... Read More
Equity and the costs of learning
Once again the knives have come out over school funding. But what is the real basis of the opposition to public funding of non-government schools? Is it about the proper use of taxpayers’ money? Or is...... Read More
Sorry, we're not a soft target
Church and other refugee support groups are absolutely right. The plight of the boat people is terrible. Pure compassion dictates that they should be welcomed with open arms. ... Read More
Tax system that's stifling the family
Everyone knows the family is in trouble these days, but what is not widely recognised is that one of the main reasons for this is changes made to the taxation system since the 1970s. ... Read More
Business should go back to moral basics
In recent years, stakeholder theory has established itself as orthodoxy within much corporate management practice. Reflecting an unsubtle play on the word ‘shareholder’, some regard stakeholderism...... Read More
Knowledge is a costly affair
The Knowledge Nation Taskforce's comprehensive agenda for upskilling Australia was widely welcomed yesterday. But the ultimate fate of the task force's report depends on a short passage near the end of...... Read More
Liberal think tank revels in the pursuit of ideas
Now celebrating its 25th year as a genially elitist influence on Australian minds, The Centre for Independent Studies seems to have shed the tag of ‘right-wing think tank’. It may be a beneficiary...... Read More
The human face of economics
Would I advise one of my children to become an economist? Surely there are more honourable professions I would in turn be advised by my friends? What is it about economics that stirs the passions so...... Read More
Laissez faire not fair for all
In a spirited defence of sacked Wollongong University academic Ted Steele, Brian Martin (HES, April 18) posed the question: ‘Should academics be entitled to speak out publicly without penalty even if,...... Read More
Chance for IMF reform
Last week’s appointment of Anne Krueger as deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund heralds a serious possibility that it could be reformed. Her appointment follows that of Alan Meltzer...... Read More
Communism is dead, but there's life yet in socialism
Ten years ago I accepted as the title of The John Bonython Lecture I was to give in Sydney, ‘Dismantling Socialism: A Preliminary Report’. I did not protest against the word socialism, either because...... Read More
Pros and Cons of a Bill of Rights
As historians look back on the 20th century, some will note the assertion of rights-claims as one of its distinguishing features. No one would dispute that much good has flowed from this development. The...... Read More
