Opinion - The Centre for Independent Studies

Energy targets need a pinch of reality dust

Aidan Morrison · September 25, 2025 · THE AUSTRALIAN

When Peter Pan pointed through the nursery window and said “second star to the right and straight on till morning,” he made the way to Neverland sound obvious. Wendy, Michael and John, swept up in his confidence (and a pinch of fairy dust), were soon away on a magical journey.

Keep raiding our super and you’ll only create a smaller, meaner country

Simon Cowan · September 20, 2025 · CANBERRA TIMES

Rumours are swirling that the government may reconsider its superannuation tax changes that will hit those with balances above $3 million with new taxes, including taxing unrealised capital gains. Abandoning this policy change would be the right call: the supporting rationale for it is weak and largely incoherent.

Australia’s housing push is bipartisan

Peter Tulip · September 17, 2025 · SPECTATOR FLAT WHITE

The Liberal party has two traditions, conservatism and support for free markets. Normally, those movements are allies. But housing policy is an unusual issue on which they diverge.

The world isn’t ending tomorrow, despite what Chris Bowen claims

Michael Wu , Aidan Morrison · September 15, 2025 · DAILY TELEGRAPH

Chris Bowen launched today’s climate press conference like a preacher at a doomsday rally. The Climate Change and Energy Minister …

Clare’s new education body offers a real chance for reform

Glenn Fahey · September 10, 2025 · THE AUSTRALIAN

Canberra’s bold plan to revolutionise education oversight faces a stark choice: become a game-changer or just another bloated bureaucracy.

Unis must be run like a business, whether academics like it or not

Steven Schwartz · September 9, 2025 · AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW

Staff unions are mobilising, newspapers are lamenting, and politicians are hand-wringing, but the arithmetic is unforgiving.

This war on grandparents’ savings has to end

Simon Cowan · September 6, 2025 · CANBERRA TIMES

As the government continues to ponder its next moves on taxation, debate has yet again turned to the issue of …

Don’t let death become an easy way out for criminals

Peter Kurti · September 3, 2025 · DAILY TELEGRAPH

Hume’s death raises serious questions. Not just about his rights, but about ours. About the rights of victims. About the meaning of justice.

The end of cash for diagnosis? Now that would be a good thing

Steven Schwartz · August 28, 2025 · THE AUSTRALIAN

The Albanese government’s plan to divert children with mild developmental delays out of the NDIS marks the most significant reform to the scheme since its birth.

Productivity roundtable’s uncertain impact. What was the point?

Simon Cowan · August 23, 2025 · CANBERRA TIMES

Surely it was not the 10 supposed reform directions, some of which contradict the others in practice (eg tax reform).

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