The Centre for Independent Studies Research Collection

Rooftop Solar: Paradise Lost | Zoe Hilton, Michael Wu, and Aidan Morrison

In "Rooftop Solar: Paradise Lost," Zoe Hilton, Michael Wu, and Aidan Morrison examine the unintended consequences of Australia's rooftop solar boom. They argue that while rooftop solar has been promoted as a means to lower electricity bills and support the environment, it has inadvertently led to increased costs for non-solar customers. The paper analyzes the financial dynamics of rooftop solar adoption, highlighting how current tariff structures result in cross-subsidies from non-solar to solar customers. It also discusses the implications for energy equity and suggests potential reforms to address these disparities.Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/rooftop-solar-paradise-lost/ Audio Produced by: Randall Evans
Subscribe to all our shows:What You Need to Know About delivers concise insights from CIS experts, breaking down complex topics like policy, economics, and societal challenges. Subscribe here: https://whatyouneedtoknowabout.podbean.com/ 
The CIS Research Collection delivers our research papers in an audio format so that you can listen to them on the go. Subscribe here: https://cisresearch.podbean.com/Liberalism in Question features thought-provoking interviews with world experts in politics and culture from a Classical Liberal perspective. Subscribe here: https://liberalisminquestion.podbean.com/CIS Events Experience: From the studios of CIS our events team brings you engaging discussions from our live events, featuring lectures, panel discussions, and conversations with leading experts: https://cisevents.podbean.com/
#SolarEnergy #auspol #greenenergy 

Super for Housing | Peter Tulip & Matthew Taylor

In "Super for Housing," Peter Tulip and Matthew Taylor explore allowing Australians to access their superannuation funds to purchase a home. He examines the rationale behind this idea, considering home equity and superannuation as alternative means of securing retirement. The paper analyzes potential impacts on housing demand and ownership rates, and discusses various approaches to implementing such a policy.Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/super-for-housing/ 
Subscribe to all our shows: What You Need to Know About delivers concise insights from CIS experts, breaking down complex topics like policy, economics, and societal challenges. Subscribe here: https://whatyouneedtoknowabout.podbean.com/ 
The CIS Research Collection delivers our research papers in an audio format so that you can listen to them on the go. Subscribe here: https://cisresearch.podbean.com/ Liberalism in Question features thought-provoking interviews with world experts in politics and culture from a Classical Liberal perspective. Subscribe here: https://liberalisminquestion.podbean.com/ CIS Events Experience: From the studios of CIS our events team brings you engaging discussions from our live events, featuring lectures, panel discussions, and conversations with leading experts: https://cisevents.podbean.com/

Fractured Loyalties. Australian citizenship and the crisis of civic virtue | Peter Kurti

In "Fractured Loyalties: Australian Citizenship and the Crisis of Civic Virtue," Peter Kurti examines the foundational role of tolerance in secular liberal democracies, particularly in embracing religious diversity. He explores how this principle, integral to the liberal conception of citizenship, is under threat due to a concerning rise in antisemitism within Australia. Kurti argues that such intolerance not only undermines social cohesion but also erodes the civic virtues essential for a healthy democracy. Through a historical lens, he underscores the necessity of mutual respect and equal concern among citizens to maintain the fabric of civil society.
This audiobook delves into the challenges posed by diminishing civic understanding and the imperative to uphold the principles that bind a diverse nation. Listeners are invited to reflect on the importance of reinforcing civic virtues to counteract divisive forces and ensure the resilience of Australia's democratic values.
Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/fractured-loyalties-australian-citizenship-and-the-crisis-of-civic-virtue/
 
Subscribe to all our shows: What You Need to Know About delivers concise insights from CIS experts, breaking down complex topics like policy, economics, and societal challenges. Subscribe here: https://whatyouneedtoknowabout.podbean.com/ 
The CIS Research Collection delivers our research papers in an audio format so that you can listen to them on the go. Subscribe here: https://cisresearch.podbean.com/ Liberalism in Question features thought-provoking interviews with world experts in politics and culture from a Classical Liberal perspective. Subscribe here: https://liberalisminquestion.podbean.com/ CIS Events Experience: From the studios of CIS our events team brings you engaging discussions from our live events, featuring lectures, panel discussions, and conversations with leading experts: https://cisevents.podbean.com/ 
#FracturedLoyalties #Citizenship #CivicVirtue #Democracy #Australia #Tolerance #SocialCohesion #Antisemitism #LiberalValues #PeterKurti #Audiobook #PoliticalPhilosophy #CivicEngagement #Freedom #Diversity #auspol

Interest, Usury and the Common Good | Ian Harper & Peter Kurti

Interest, Usury and the Common Good by Ian Harper and Peter Kurti
Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/interest-usury-and-the-common-good/Listen to all our papers here: https://cisresearch.podbean.com/ 
Delve into the intricate history and ethical debates surrounding the practice of charging interest in "Interest, Usury, and the Common Good," authored by Ian Harper and Peter Kurti. As economies evolved, so did perspectives on interest, shifting from outright prohibition to discussions about fair rates. Harper and Kurti trace this transformation, examining how the term 'usury' became associated with excessively high interest rates deemed unjustifiable. They analyze the balance between facilitating economic growth through credit and maintaining ethical lending practices that serve the common good. #Audiobook #Economics #Finance #Ethics #Usury #InterestRates #CommonGood #History #Philosophy #Christianity #CIS

Less Crowded Houses: NZ’s housing policy success and implications for Australia | Stuart Donovan

Less Crowded Houses. NZ’s housing policy success and implications for Australia by Stuart Donovan.Audio produced by Randall Evans. 
To read the paper: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/less-crowded-houses-the-success-of-nzs-housing-policy-reforms-and-implications-for-australia/
To become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 
 
Introduction to the Paper:
Many Australians are increasingly concerned by deteriorating housing affordability and its implications for socio-economic outcomes. In a recent survey, 62% of respondents agreed that “continued increases in house prices is bad for the economy and is exacerbating wealth inequality”.[1] In another survey, around two-thirds of respondents agreed that the federal government was not doing enough to address Australia’s housing problems.[2] Analysis by the Australian Bureau of Statistics finds genuine cause for concern, with rates of home ownership for those aged 25-39 years falling from 66% to 55% in the period from 1991 to 2021.[3]
Such concerns are increasingly reflected in policy, with a recent federal government report observing that “rising housing costs” pose “challenges for many young Australians”.[4] The same report pointed to a need for housing supply to be “responsive to demand”, especially in locations that are accessible to jobs. There is indeed growing evidence that housing policy reforms can increase supply and support affordability. Perhaps most notably, rates of housing supply in New Zealand have — after a decade of reform — surged past Australia. For these reasons, this paper reviews New Zealand’s reforms and considers potential lessons for Australia.
First, the paper summarises the context to housing policy reforms in New Zealand, which have sought to streamline planning processes and enable housing in desirable locations, a process known as ‘upzoning’. The term is used here to describe changes to planning policies that enable more housing to be built, such as increased building height limits. A recurring theme in New Zealand’s housing policy reforms has been the potential distributional effects of upzoning — that is, who ‘wins’ and ‘loses’. Growing awareness of the distributional benefits of housing appears to have fostered broad-based support for reforms in New Zealand.
The paper then briefly reviews empirical evidence on the impacts of New Zealand’s housing reforms. These effects are apparent from even a cursory comparison of housing outcomes in councils that have upzoned versus those that have not. In 2023, for example, upzoned councils in Auckland, Canterbury, and Lower Hutt have accounted for around two-thirds of all the dwelling consents issued in New Zealand, which is much more than their share of the population. Several credible economic studies find upzoning supported large and rapid improvements in housing affordability as well as a rapid expansion in social housing.
Thirdly, the paper presents some preliminary analyses of New Zealand’s housing policy reforms. Whereas dwelling growth in Canterbury and Auckland initially lagged population growth, after each region was upzoned in 2011 and 2016, dwellings have grown faster than population. Moreover, analysis of data from Auckland shows the population of people aged 20-34 years grew most strongly in areas that experienced the most upzoning, and vice versa for those aged 65+ years. While more research is needed, these preliminary analyses suggest young people may have disproportionately benefited from these reforms, where benefits likely represent a ‘double dividend’ of more affordable housing and better access to jobs and amenities.
There have been several recent overviews of New Zealand’s housing reforms, including Maltman (2023), Greenaway-McGrevy (2024), Blick and Stewart (2024) and Politano (2024).  These summaries focus on estimates of the effects of Auckland’s Unitary Plan. Like this paper, they agree that upzoning led to large increases in construction and improvements in affordability.  This paper updates this earlier work, provides a broader context, and is targeted at a broad Australian audience.
To conclude, this paper argues that Australia can learn from New Zealand’s experience: enabling more housing can quickly lead to more supply and improved affordability.Read more: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/less-crowded-houses-the-success-of-nzs-housing-policy-reforms-and-implications-for-australia/#auspol #nswpol #nz #nzhousing #realestate #property #propertyinvesting 

The Argument For Debate: how school debating can improve academic outcomes and foster a stronger democracy | Deidre Clary & Fiona Mueller

The Argument For Debate: how school debating can improve academic outcomes and foster a stronger democracy. This podcast audiobook explores the pivotal role of debate in addressing Australia’s educational and civic challenges. With academic achievement in decline and public confidence waning, the nation's 2024 Senate Inquiry into civics education underscores the urgency of reform. Anchored in evidence-based practices like a "knowledge-rich curriculum" and explicit teaching, debate emerges as a time-tested tool to enhance critical thinking, English proficiency, and civic engagement. From its ancient Greek roots to modern formats like parliamentary debates and mock trials, this episode examines how integrating debate into schools can restore academic excellence, foster a deeper appreciation of Australia’s democratic foundations, and prepare young Australians for active citizenship in a 21st-century democracy. Perfect for educators, policymakers, and anyone passionate about empowering future generations.By Deidre Clary and Fiona Mueller. Read the full paper: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/fortifying-a-healthy-democracy-why-young-australians-must-learn-the-art-of-debate/For more research, head to www.cis.org.au#auspol #education #debate #audiobooks #EducationReform #DebateSkills #CivicsEducation #AustralianEducation #CriticalThinking #ActiveCitizenship #Democracy #TeachingStrategies #KnowledgeRichCurriculum #21stCenturySkills #StudentEngagement #EducationMatters #FutureLeaders

The Rise of Activist Corporations: How activism agendas subsumed shareholder primacy | Peter Swan

The Rise of Activist Corporations: How activism agendas subsumed shareholder primacy
by Peter Swan AO
September 26, 2024
Australian companies have been shifting from a purely shareholder focus to a much vaguer, less accountable, and damaging stakeholder focus for many years. One important byproduct of this decline in shareholder focus has been former shareholder resources moving into ‘social responsibility’, corporate activism, and promotion of political and popular causes that are often antithetical to the interests of corporations’ own shareholders. This has resulted in many corporations becoming ‘woke’.Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-rise-of-activist-corporations-how-activism-agendas-subsumed-shareholder-primacy/
 
#auspol #woke

Government spending and inflation | Robert Carling

Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/government-spending-and-inflation/That government expenditure in Australia has grown apace in recent years is well-known. The growth became gargantuan during the coronavirus pandemic. However, to a less dramatic extent, it was happening before the pandemic — and has continued since it ended.
Some observers welcome this growth to the extent it is a reflection of new spending programs and expansion of existing programs perceived to meet legitimate needs. But it is also a matter of serious concern for reasons that include the implications for higher taxation and public debt, the effect on incentives and the diversion of scarce resources away from alternative and higher productivity activities.
Recently, attention has turned to the impact of higher public spending on inflation as monetary policy struggles to restore inflation to its target. Specifically, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has spoken of the high level of aggregate demand relative to the economy’s potential output. The RBA has drawn attention to the relatively rapid growth of public final demand as a contributor to excessive aggregate demand —­ although the Governor has also stated that public sector demand “is not the main game” in the policy response to persistent inflation.
This policy paper presents the key facts about public expenditure growth in recent years and discusses its contribution to inflation.

All Things Considered. Making Moral Sense of the Wars in Ukraine and Gaza | Nigel Biggar

All our links: https://linktr.ee/centreforindependentstudies All Things Considered. Making Moral Sense of the Wars in Ukraine and Gaza by Nigel Biggar.Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/all-things-considered-making-moral-sense-of-the-wars-in-ukraine-and-gaza/ 
The pacifist answer to the problem of #war is straightforward. Any use of violent force by anybody in any circumstances is immoral and should cease. War is always worse than its alternatives; peace is always preferable. This is not a view to which I subscribe. We all want peace, but at what cost and to whom? If those who believe in the possibility of morally justified war have to reckon with the dreadful consequences of their position, so do pacifists. Not going to war in 1994 was good for Britons and Australians, but not so good for the Tutsi in Rwanda: our staying at peace left the Hutu at peace to slaughter 800,000 of them. Peace, like war, is morally complicated.
The war in #Ukraine has resulted in the widespread devastation of the country. Russian president Vladimir Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons hangs over it, and it seems unlikely that the Ukrainians can triumph over Russia. So, surely it would have been better, if Kyiv had not resisted in the first place. And would it not be best, if it were to stop resisting now?
Meanwhile in #Gaza the civilian casualties of the war between Israel and Hamas continue to mount. South Africa has accused Israel of genocide, and the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has applied for a warrant to arrest the Israeli Prime Minister. And yet, it was Hamas that began the current phase of the conflict with the horrendously deliberate and indiscriminate massacre of #Israeli civilians on October 7 last year. And it is Hamas that planned to make a battlefield out of a dense urban environment, building tunnels for its gunmen but no shelters for non-combatants. And it is Hamas that is constitutionally committed to eradicating #Israel. So how are we to make coherent moral sense of the situation?

Counting the Cost: Subsidies For Renewable Energy | Michael Wu

Counting the Cost: Subsidies For Renewable Energy By Michael Wu.For all references and graphs, please download the publication at the centre for independent studies website where you can also become a member of CIS. As this paper is graph and data-heavy, it’s a good idea to have the paper open as you listen along. Download here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/counting-the-cost-subsidies-for-renewable-energy/CIS Membership - https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@CISAus Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/Telegram - https://t.me/centreforindependentstudiesCIS - https://www.cis.org.au/