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Government Spending

economic-policy-govt

Governments spend taxpayers’ money on a wide range of programmes from education to defence and from welfare to infrastructure. Yet there can be too much of a good thing, and some government spending is just wasteful. How can we ensure that taxpayers are getting value for money?

Publications

  1. Trans-Atlantic Fiscal Follies: The Sequel

    Adam Creighton, Oliver Marc Hartwich, Robert Carling | 30 Nov 2011 | Policy Forum

    What started as the US subprime crisis became the global financial crisis and has now developed into the Trans-Atlantic sovereign... Read More...

  2. The Decade-long Binge: How Government Squandered Ten Years of Economic Prosperity

    Luke Malpass | 17 Nov 2011 | Issue Analysis

    Government spending in New Zealand has increased enormously over the past decade in order to meet social goals. From 2000-2010... Read More...

  3. Free-Trade Ferries: A Case for Competition

    Alexander Philipatos | 27 Oct 2011 | Issue Analysis

    Sydney needs a network of ferries that is able to cater to the city’s changing demographics but is also financially sustainable... Read More...

  4. When Prophecy Fails

    Peter Saunders | 09 Sep 2011 | Special Publications

      In their 2009 book, The Spirit Level, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett argued for the ‘benefits’ of income redistribution.... Read More...

  5. Australia’s Angry Mayors: How Population Growth Frustrates Local Councils

    Adam Creighton, Oliver Marc Hartwich | 14 Jul 2011 | Policy Monographs

    To understand the effects of a growing population on Australia’s councils, CIS surveyed local authorities from all over... Read More...

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Opinion & Commentary

  1. Why a sovereign wealth fund won't work

    Stephen Kirchner | 21 Feb 2012 | Business Spectator

    Many of the desirable objectives of a sovereign wealth fund could be achieved through greater use of enforceable fiscal policy ... Read More

  2. Fast rail go-slow

    John Nestor | 10 Feb 2012 | The Geelong Advertiser

    Long-distance passenger trains are running slower than they were in the steam engine era on some lines in New South Wales ... Read More

  3. Give austerity a chance

    Robert Carling, Stephen Kirchner | 08 Feb 2012 | Australian Financial Review

    Fiscal policy should focus on micro-economic issues such as promoting incentives to save, work and invest, as well as ensuring ... Read More

  4. It's time to bust open the pharmacists' closed shop

    Terry Barnes | 25 Jan 2012 | The Australian

    Pharmacists are vital healthcare professionals. But as Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott look to keep the nation's health budget ... Read More

  5. Spending Spree wasted decade of prosperity

    Luke Malpass | 18 Nov 2011 | The National Business Review

    NZ’s decade long spending binge was prosperity wasted.... Read More

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Ideas@TheCentre

  1. The taxman cometh

    Robert Carling | 17 Feb 2012

    The government isn’t making any economic sense fighting against a deficit in the budget....

  2. New report, old story

    Alexander Philipatos | 17 Feb 2012

    Ferry reform must happen to introduce competition into the market and lower the cost for commuters....

  3. Who needs a car industry anyway?

    Oliver Marc Hartwich | 17 Feb 2012

    Does Australia need a car industry? Probably not....

  4. Car industry handouts are childish

    Alexander Philipatos | 27 Jan 2012

    Paying for an industry that can’t support itself is lunacy. Car companies need to bite the bullet and find a sustainable ...

  5. Left or Right can find common ground

    Adam Creighton | 25 Nov 2011

    It is fascinating that the more reflective elements of the Left and the (properly) liberal Right agree with each other on ...

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