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Dodging the austerity bullet (March 14, 2013)
Anyone who thinks Australia’s Labor Government hasn’t got it right on the economy need only look at Britain’s woes under the Conservatives. In judging economic policies, it is best to consider not just what happened after a given policy came into effect, but what would have happened without the policy in question. Policy wonks call this the [...]
It’s The Rules, Rio (June 18, 2012)
Tim Dixon and Alnoor Ladha, writing in the Huffington Post, discuss the Rio+20 Conference and the aims of their campaign – The Rules We may cry out desperately for time to pause her passage, but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are [...]
‘What Gives?’ Catalyst Report Launch (June 18, 2012)
Catalyst invites you to the launch of their 5th Report in the Full Disclosure series Arrive 10:45 for 11am start Tuesday 17th July 2012 Trades Hall Atrium, 4 Goulburn St, Sydney Catalyst is pleased to announce the launch of their latest report in the Full Disclosure series – What Gives? How companies invest in communities [...]
A Story For A Nation: Capturing Climate Change For Social Democrats (March 9, 2012)
In the first think-piece for 2012, Christian Downie has written about the opportunities that arise for social democrats when tackling the seemingly vexed issue of climate change. One of the arts of politics is storytelling, establishing a narrative that people can engage with. It is why politicians often talk about great teachers when explaining education [...]
Politics In The Hall (November 6, 2011)
The biggest Fringe Program for the 2011 ALP National Conference. Event Date: 02 December 2011 The biggest Fringe Program for the 2011 ALP National Conference, Progressive Australia`s Politics in the Hall brings together members of the progressive movement from Australia and around the world to discuss renewing our social democratic values and rebuilding our movement. Come [...]
Per Capita Tax Survey 2011 (September 20, 2011)
Public Attitudes towards Taxation and Government Expenditure Per Capita recently launched their 2011 Tax Survey which asked more than 1000 Australians for their views on personal tax contributions, taxation levels, public spending and new tax proposals such as the Minerals Resource Rent Tax and the carbon tax. This Survey sought to capture the public’s attitudes [...]
The Battle Of The Think Tanks (September 20, 2011)
Some of Australia’s most prolific and influential think tanks will duke it out over whose ideology and vision for the future should prevail. Event Date: 12 November 2011 Some of Australia’s most prolific and influential think tanks will duke it out over whose ideology and vision for the future should prevail. Pitting speakers from social democrat [...]
Prime Minister’s Address (September 15, 2011)
The Prime Minister recently outlined her vision for the Labor Party in a modern Australia. Event Date: 16 September 2011 Friends. I’m with you today, as your Labor Leader, to discuss our Labor values. Values 120 years old, values that have shaped this nation. Values that inspire us today and will inspire us tomorrow. Values [...]
Sen. John Faulkner Launches ‘Little History’ (June 15, 2011)
The Australian Labor Party has a long, and a proud, history. And it is a considerable achievement for Nick Dyrenfurth and Frank Bongiorno to have covered that 120 years in just under twice that many compressed, action-packed pages… Ladies and gentlemen, the Australian Labor Party has a long, and a proud, history. And it is [...]
Building A Progressive Australia (June 14, 2011)
Over the weekend of 30 April and 1 May more than 500 Labor members, supporters and Progressive Australians gathered at Sydney University to take up that challenge and plan the future of the progressive movement in Australia. Event Date: 01 May 2011 Over the weekend of 30 April and 1 May more than 500 Labor members, [...]
News
Jobs Plan Sees Sense In Fostering Local Innovation (February 25, 2013)
Scarce public funding is best directed where it can do the most good. Labor`s jobs plan recognises that it is the innovation of medium-sized companies that will make a real difference to Australia`s prospects into the future. It was Thomas Edison who first said that to have a great idea, have a lot of them. [...]
Today It Is About The State Of The Jobs Market (February 13, 2013)
Ever since George Washington delivered the first State of the Union in January 1790 its form and purpose have evolved. Thomas Jefferson dispensed with the inconvenience of a speech and circulated to congressmen a written report instead; it took 112 years before President Wilson revived the spoken word version in 1913. Twelve years later, President [...]
New Executive Director For Chifley Research Centre (February 4, 2013)
The Chifley Research Centre begins a new era today with its first ever full time Executive Director, Jim Chalmers. The Chifley Research Centre is the Labor Party`s official think tank, committed to the advancement of public policy debate and progressive thinking in Australia. To this end, the Centre promotes policy discussion in universities and throughout [...]
Opinion
961,027 reasons why budget flexibility is working (May 13, 2013)
We shouldn’t allow the usual argy bargy about budget-week ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ obscure Australia’s overall economic and budgetary successes. Jim’s article was first published by The Drum Opinion on 13 May 2013. The news last Thursday that 961,027 jobs have been created under Labor was a stunning reminder just five days before the budget that [...]
A Labo(u)r Vision for the Economy and Government (May 8, 2013)
I think it’s appropriate to start from a first principles basis, specifically by asking the question – what is the show about? I think our economic goal (past, present and future) can be summarised as follows: to protect and increase the living standards of lower and middle income people. This is a continuous project, not [...]
The Culture Wars: Legitimate Battlefield Or Just Another Sneaky Right-Wing Attack (May 2, 2013)
It takes a fair bit to offend me these days but Nick Cater’s new book The Lucky Culture and the Rise of an Australian Ruling Class has done the trick. It is an infuriating and fundamentally dishonest attempt to demolish everything Labor might reasonably stand for this century: action on climate change, support for the [...]
More straight talk and less budget scaremongering (April 30, 2013)
We’re seeing signs this year of a mature conversation about the tough budget decisions Australia must make in light of lower tax revenues. But we’re also seeing the usual scaremongering. Jim’s article was first published by The Drum Opinion on 30 April 2013. There is only a fortnight to go until Wayne Swan hands down [...]
Fair Go Under Fire (April 27, 2013)
The fundamental objective of economic policy is the creation of greater prosperity to enable a better life for everyone. It is not an ideological exercise but a practical and moral one. I know the Labor Party isn’t exactly the flavour of the month at the moment and we haven’t always pulled the right rein every [...]
A Clinical Approach to Education (April 26, 2013)
In recent years there has been substantial financial support for the education needs of our children. These commendable initiatives have ranged from allowances for uniforms & books, to construction of school buildings and now a new funding model (Gonski), all designed to provide our kids with the best opportunity to fulfill their individual potential. In [...]
Pupils more important than politics (April 24, 2013)
We Queenslanders are a parochial lot, and we admire our politicians when they stand up for the state’s interests. Jim’s article was first published by the Sydney Morning Herald on 24 April 2013. But there is a limit to parochialism when it actually damages the people our politicians are elected to represent. Especially when it [...]
Beyond Preoccupations (April 23, 2013)
In the historic context of early unions coming up against harsh workplace laws (and recently facing down WorkChoices), it’s easy to see why this view is so ingrained within Labor. Immediately after the attempted leadership ballot of March 21, 2013, I felt like I was walking in a daze, feeling despondent and slightly alarmed. Labor’s [...]
At Stake in Our Schools (April 18, 2013)
Everyone around the Council of Australian Governments table in Canberra tomorrow needs to put parents and pupils before politics and parochialism. Jim’s article was first published by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on 18 April 2013. There’ll be a lot of people at the elegant, oval-shaped table in the pink-walled cabinet room in Canberra [...]
Discrimination law could change corporate culture, if only there was access to justice (April 17, 2013)
Public companies take their disclosure obligations very seriously. The risks of attention from the regulator, and shareholder class actions, make companies extremely careful about the information they provide to the market. Companies know that investors who have suffered loss may well have the resources and support needed, and the will, to sue. And they know [...]
Publication
A New Book from Chifley’s Executive Director (May 2, 2013)
For the last few months I’ve been working on a book about the politics of the global financial crisis in Australia and lessons for the future, and I’m pleased to say it has been scheduled for publication and release by MUP on 1 July this year. It’s called Glory Daze: how a world-beating nation got [...]
After The Party (June 18, 2012)
PerCapita have recently released a paper that tries to answer how Australia has spent the windfall of the mining boom Download here In the first decade of the century, Australia struck it lucky. A voracious global appetite for commodities meant that we could sell unimaginable quantities of our mineral resources at unimaginable prices. The result [...]
Graham Freudenberg Donation (September 20, 2011)
Graham Freudenberg has donated his fantastic personal archive to the Whitlam Institute ensuring that this historically significant collection will remain safe and accessible. As speechwriter and confidante to Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke, Neville Wran and Bob Carr among others, Graham Freudenberg has been one of Australia’s most erudite and influential political insiders, shaping and articulating [...]
Report Into Sustainable Living (July 29, 2009)
The CRC releases a CSIRO report into Sustainable Living This report is a review of current policies that could be applied in Australia to promote increased sustainability amongst households, community and business groups. The major focus of the report is on energy consumption but the report also cover some issues around water, waste and mobility. [...]
Creating Capabilities For Development (April 1, 2009)
Martha Nussbaum’s contribution to the Progressive Governance Conference’s handbook. This article appears in the 2009 Progressive Governance Conference policy handbook All over the world, people are struggling for a life that is fully human, a life worthy of human dignity. Countries and states are often focused on economic growth alone, but their people, meanwhile, are striving [...]
A People First Strategy (April 1, 2009)
James K. Galbraith’s contribution to the Progressive Governance Conference’s handbook. This article appears in the 2009 Progressive Governance Conference policy handbook In 1930, John Maynard Keynes wrote, “The world has been slow to realise that we are living this year in the shadow of one of the greatest economic catastrophes of modern history.” Today, as then, [...]