Simon Cowan
Research Fellow & TARGET30 Program Director, Economics Program
Simon is a Research Fellow in the economics program and TARGET30 Program Director. As well as con-ordinating the TARGET30 program which is focussed on government spending, Simon is working on government industry policy and regulation.
Prior to joining the CIS, he practiced Corporate Law for several years at a top tier law firm in Sydney and London after which he joined the NSW Government industry division. He has degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of New South Wales, as well as qualifications in Project Management.
Email: scowan@cis.org.au
Publications by Author
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TARGET30: Reducing the burden for future generations
| 01 Jul 2013 | Policy ForumTARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government and cutting government spending to less than 30% of GDP in the next 10... Read More...
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TARGET30: Towards smaller government and future prosperity
| 06 Mar 2013 | TARGET30 Research PapersTARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government, supported by a series of research reports providing policy solutions... Read More...
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TARGET30 SNAPSHOT: Towards smaller government and future prosperity
| 06 Mar 2013 | TARGET30 SnapshotsTARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government, supported by a series of research reports providing policy solutions... Read More...
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FEATURE: The Spectre of Protectionism Still Haunts Australia’s Economy
| 25 Feb 2013 | POLICY MagazinePolitical parties must resist the siren’s call of protectionism’s cheap popularity.
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Future Submarine Project Should Raise Periscope for Another Look
| 24 Oct 2012 | Policy MonographsAustralia should not spend $40 billion to repeat the mistakes of the Collins Class submarine. Nuclear submarines, such as... Read More...
Opinion & Commentary by Author
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It's time to put the break on corporate welfare
| 23 May 2013 | The DrumCorporate welfare for a favoured few - like Australia's car manufacturers - cannot be justified.
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It’s time for surgery: the public purse is in dire health
| 26 Apr 2013 | The Australian Financial ReviewReducing inefficient spending may harm vested interests, but meaningful reform cannot occur if no one is ever allowed to... Read More
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Cure for a bloated public sector
| 05 Apr 2013 | The Canberra TimesTARGET30 is not a slash-and-burn campaign; it simply asks people to consider what they really need government to provide.
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It's time for smaller government
| 18 Mar 2013 | ON LINE OpinionFederal, state and territory, and local governments currently spend approximately $60 billion more each year than they should.
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Need to cut fat before we all pay the price
| 11 Mar 2013 | The AustralianGovernments are seemingly incapable of breaking their addiction to increasing spending.
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Car industry subsidies a waste of money
| 23 Jan 2013 | Australian Financial ReviewGovernment assistance to the automotive industry has been an expensive failure.
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Facts favour nuclear-powered submarines
| 05 Nov 2012 | ON LINE OpinionAustralia must consider nuclear-powered submarines for the Future Submarine project.
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Australia’s Nuclear Sub Option
| 26 Oct 2012 | The DiplomatAustralia needs the best submarines it can get, and that means the U.S. Navy’s Virginia Class nuclear-powered attack submarine.
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Stop-gap subsidies for the car industry must end
| 26 Sep 2012 | Australian Financial ReviewThe Government needs to stop throwing money at the car industry and train these employees for other industries.
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Casting Australia’s business reputation overboard
| 25 Sep 2012 | ON LINE OpinionAustralia cannot afford to jeopardise access to investment capital in an increasingly scarce global market.
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Finger-pointing over power ignores crucial facts
| 08 Aug 2012 | The DrumThe issue of electricity prices is a plague on both houses.
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Navel gazing and infrastructure buck passing
| 31 Jul 2012 | Business SpectatorFinding a long-term solution to the problem of infrastructure funding is in the interests of both the federal and the NSW... Read More
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It just smelts your heart
| 06 Jul 2012 | ON LINE OpinionNo one seems to question why it's up to government to pick up the cheque to keep uncompetitive businesses running.
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Unions could make a difference for workers if they canned the sloganism
| 25 Jun 2012 | ON LINE OpinionUnion outrage over Enterprise Migration Agreements reveals the damaging contradictions the union movement has employed in... Read More
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Only migrant workers can fill the gap
| 05 Jun 2012 | Australian Financial ReviewTemporary, skilled migration is the only viable solution for the resources sector.
Ideas@TheCentre by Author
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Why we should support car workers (find new jobs)
| 12 Jul 2013 | Ideas@The CentreGovernment should support workers transition to competitive industries and abolish corporate welfare.
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Freedom and smaller government
| 28 Jun 2013 | Ideas@The CentreThe issues that we as a society face have only arisen because government has moved away from its core roles.
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Corporate welfare still milking government cash cows
| 14 Jun 2013 | Ideas@The CentreIndustry assistance doesn’t achieve the goals it’s supposed to, and should be reduced.
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Tax rises are not savings
| 17 May 2013 | Ideas@The CentreThis budget is further evidence that governments remain addicted to spending, and that is why it is time for TARGET30.
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The end of austerity?
| 19 Apr 2013 | Ideas@The CentreSaddling future generations with lower growth and higher taxes while they repay debts incurred to fund our short-term consumption... Read More
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Promoting the benefits of smaller government
| 08 Mar 2013 | Ideas@The CentreObvious areas of government inefficiency and waste should be cut immediately.
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The protectionist field of dreams
| 22 Feb 2013 | Ideas@The CentrePoliticians don’t seem to know a lot about what businesses need to succeed.
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Governments aren’t economists
| 25 Jan 2013 | Ideas@The CentreWhat does the failure to achieve a budget surplus actually mean?
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Will taxes on the super-rich solve budget woes?
| 07 Dec 2012 | Ideas@The CentreIt’s time to get serious about the economy.
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In Soviet Australia defence is welfare
| 23 Nov 2012 | Ideas@The CentreIn Soviet Australia, it seems defence is welfare for some groups.
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Four more years of Obamanomics
| 09 Nov 2012 | Ideas@The CentreObama is likely to continue his big government approach, backed by new taxes.
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Facts favour nuclear-powered submarines
| 26 Oct 2012 | Ideas@The CentreAustralia must consider nuclear-powered submarines to get the best submarine for the money the government is willing to spend.
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Fiscal discipline isn’t austerity but good government
| 12 Oct 2012 | Ideas@The CentreDemonising austerity will result in a continuation of the reckless government-funded spending spree.
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Protectionism is socialism
| 28 Sep 2012 | Ideas@The CentreAustralia has had a long history of protectionism but the onus to support Australian production should lie with the consumers... Read More
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A plan with no plans
| 07 Sep 2012 | Ideas@The CentreThe NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan isn’t a plan at all but a collection of concepts and colourful pictograms that... Read More
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For the love of gold, let’s find a better way to fund sport
| 16 Aug 2012 | Ideas@The CentreRather than lining up more athletes to suckle on the government teat, we should explore innovative new funding models for... Read More
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The nanny state is responsible for all business success
| 27 Jul 2012 | Ideas@The CentreSuccess in business is primarily about ideas and risks.
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The state budget – motorways at 10 paces
| 15 Jun 2012 | Ideas@The CentreThere are several components of the recent NSW budget that should pique your interest.
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Drop the protectionist rhetoric and do more for your members
| 01 Jun 2012 | Ideas@The CentreIf unions are serious about standing up for working families, they ought to be working with mining companies to improve prospects... Read More
