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John Humphreys

humphreys-johnJohn was a Research Fellow in Economics at the CIS in 2009. He previously worked as a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Treasury and as a consultant for the Centre for International Economics. He is also the Director of the Human Capital Project, a non-profit that provides financing to Cambodian university students. John has an Economics (Hons) degree from the University of Queensland.

Publications by Author

  1. Taxploitation II: Tax Reform for Incentive,Productivity and Economic Growth

    John Humphreys, Robert Carling, Sinclair Davidson, Stephen Kirchner | 13 Jul 2011 | CIS Readings

    This volume reviews tax reforms implemented since the publication of Taxploitation by the CIS in 2006 and concludes that... Read More...

  2. FEATURE: A Fresh Look at Labour Markets

    John Humphreys | 22 Mar 2010 | POLICY Magazine

    Minimum wage decisions should take into account all costs to the employer and all benefits to the employee.

  3. Ending the Churn: A Tax/Welfare Swap

    John Humphreys | 07 Oct 2009 | Policy Monographs

    John Humphreys argues that removing middle-class welfare in exchange for income tax cuts, the government could reduce tax... Read More...

  4. FEATURE: Revealing Australia's Real Income Tax Rates

    John Humphreys | 04 Jun 2009 | POLICY Magazine

    Before we can consider tax reform options, it is necessary to have accurate information about the current tax system. Unfortunately,... Read More...

  5. In Defence of Civil Society: The Virtue of Prescribed Private Funds

    John Humphreys | 18 Feb 2009 | Issue Analysis

    The Commonwealth government is looking to change the rules governing charitable funds which may harm philanthropic giving... Read More...

  6. Exploring a Carbon Tax for Australia

    John Humphreys | 06 Nov 2007 | Policy Monographs

    It is not a foregone conclusion that we need a carbon trading scheme or a carbon tax. Humphreys provides much food for thought... Read More...

  7. COMMENT: Anti-Competitive Politics

    John Humphreys | 09 Sep 2007 | POLICY Magazine

    In the Autumn issue of Policy, John Humphreys wrote about the Liberal Democratic Party, Australia's only classical liberal... Read More...

  8. FEATURE: Taking Classical Lliberalism to People

    John Humphreys | 03 Mar 2007 | POLICY Magazine

    A classical liberal party can have influence without election victory.

  9. ROSS PARISH ESSAY: Freedom From Choice: The Government's Futile Quest To Take The Risk Out of Life

    John Humphreys | 12 Dec 2006 | POLICY Magazine

    The costs of protecting people from themselves are apparent in drug prohibition.

  10. Reform 30/30: Rebuilding Australia’s Tax and Welfare Systems

    John Humphreys | 25 Nov 2005 | Policy Monographs

    John Humphreys has a vision of how the tax and welfare systems could be refashioned to break through the dispiriting problems... Read More...

  11. COMMENT: Can We Preserve Liberty in an Age of Terrorism? Two Perspectives

    John Humphreys, Nicholas Southwood | 03 Mar 2004 | POLICY Magazine

    Security is essential for the enjoyment of freedom in a liberal society, but this does not mean that we should accept security... Read More...

  12. FEATURE: Funding School Choice Vouchers Or Tax Credits: A Response to Buckingham

    John Humphreys | 03 Mar 2002 | POLICY Magazine

    School choice reforms offer the best hope for improving schooling in Australia, but outstanding issues remain over funding.... Read More...

  13. FEATURE: Reforming Wages and Welfare Policy: Six Advantages of a Negative Income Tax

    John Humphreys | 03 Mar 2001 | POLICY Magazine

    The replacement of all current welfare and wage provisions with a universal but minimal negative income tax would create... Read More...

Opinion & Commentary by Author

  1. Activists should stop talking about global warming and start acting

    John Humphreys | 23 Dec 2009 | The Sydney Morning Herald

    If climate activists had spent the past 10 years acting instead of wasting time at talkfests such as the one at Copenhagen,... Read More

  2. It’s time for a new Medicare

    John Humphreys | 22 Oct 2009 | Online Opinion

    Thirty-five years after the Whitlam government voted for the introduction of universal health care, and following the report... Read More

  3. We’re wasting billions on tax churn

    John Humphreys | 08 Oct 2009 | Business Spectator

    By pulling the middle class into the welfare net, the government is crowding out civil society and undermining personal responsibility,... Read More

  4. Create a welfare system we can afford

    John Humphreys | 07 Oct 2009 | Adelaide Now

    The government recently increased the pension by up to $65 per fortnight, but the pressure for ever higher welfare benefits... Read More

  5. Taxing the poor to pay for teeth

    John Humphreys | 04 Aug 2009 | Open Forum

    In the middle of a global recession, the government is considering a regressive increase in income tax. Specifically, they... Read More

  6. Workers on low incomes are losing out

    John Humphreys | 29 Jun 2009 | Camberra Times

    The Australian Fair Pay Commission decided last July to increase the minimum wage by $1126 per year, from $27,150 to $28,276.

  7. Incentivising welfare

    John Humphreys | 12 Jun 2009 | NZ Centre for Political Research

    The Key government campaigned on reforming welfare, but as the recession bites deeper we shall see if John Key and Paula... Read More

  8. Australia’s recession in perspective

    John Humphreys | 04 Jun 2009 | Open Forum

    A few weeks ago I suggested that we should be relatively optimistic about the Australian economy. Given the national accounts... Read More

  9. The rise of neo-socialism

    John Humphreys | 28 May 2009 | The Camberra Times

    In recent months, we have heard the Prime Minister and others waxing lyrical about the sins of ‘neo-liberalism.’ This... Read More

  10. Making things worse

    John Humphreys | 11 May 2009 | Business Spectator

    There is an ongoing debate about whether the government’s spending spree is going to work or whether it is a waste of money.

  11. Australian libertarians revealed

    John Humphreys | 10 May 2009 | Open Forum

    It seems left-wing economic journalist Ross Gittins has just discovered the word ‘libertarian,’ and the revelation seems... Read More

  12. A War on Charity

    John Humphreys | 09 Apr 2009 | Open Forum

    Having launched wars on unemployment, drugs, inflation, whalers, disadvantage, downloads, pokies, doping in sport, bankers... Read More

  13. In a civil society, it should always pay to be generous

    John Humphreys | 25 Feb 2009 | The Camberra Times

    Following the financial crisis and stalling economy there has been a round of finger pointing. Some have blamed the market.... Read More

  14. We need to start emissions debate

    John Humphreys | 18 Feb 2009 | The Australian

    The climate change policy debate should not be based on popularity but careful analysis of the benefits and costs of various... Read More

  15. Best way to help a warming planet is to tax carbon and let the market decide

    John Humphreys | 31 Jan 2009 | The Age

    It’s time to re-open the debate about carbon taxes.

  16. Taxation rhetoric and reality

    John Humphreys | 30 Jan 2009 | Business Spectator

    Instead of adjusting LITO, the government should cut tax in a more meaningful way.

  17. Accepting the recession

    John Humphreys | 26 Jan 2009 | The Canberra Times

    The government cannot fix our economic problems and it shouldn’t be trying.

  18. Let people be free to choose independence from the state

    John Humphreys | 17 Jul 2008 | The Australian Financial Review

    Apparently, the only people in our society smart and responsible enough to make important life decisions are politicians... Read More

  19. Simpler tax is easy, but where's the political courage?

    John Humphreys | 30 Nov 2005 | The Australian

    Reform is good. Sometimes, revolution is better.

  20. Government is no Santa: the costs of stimulus

    John Humphreys | 30 Nov -0001 | Online Opinion

    The government stimulus might look good now, but the long term consequence will be upward pressure on interest rates, fewer... Read More

Ideas@TheCentre by Author

  1. The ghosts of global warming

    John Humphreys | 30 Oct 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    In just over a month, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to work out a plan of action to tackle climate change. But something... Read More

  2. The easy way to cut tax

    John Humphreys | 09 Oct 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    The difficulty with cutting tax is that the government also needs to reduce its spending, and few people are willing to give... Read More

  3. War gaming for new government policy

    John Humphreys | 28 Aug 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    In troubled times, the government loves to legislate. Whether it is climate change, terrorism or recession, in our modern... Read More

  4. Poor people can’t eat good intentions

    John Humphreys | 17 Jul 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    Apparently, politics is simple. Either you are good and care for people, or you don’t.

  5. Golden Rule: Dont Mess with the Taxman

    John Humphreys | 12 Jun 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    In a bizarre American tax trial, businessman Robert Kahre is being charged with intentionally paying his employees with legal... Read More

  6. The not so brave neo-world

    John Humphreys | 01 May 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    The world is dangerous. If we aren’t being attacked by leaky fishing boats or sneezing pigs, then we need to worry about... Read More

  7. Defending civil society and Prescribed Private Funds

    John Humphreys | 20 Feb 2009 | Ideas@The Centre

    New regulations that will limit the flexibility of charitable funds and decrease the quality and quantity of philanthropy... Read More