The Australia Institute

The Australia Institute The Australia Institute is an independent Canberra-based think-tank established in 1994. Authorised by E. Bennett, The Australia Institute, Canberra 2604.
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29/08/2026

Have you ever heard our government put up a bill and then cry foul when the rest of the parliament demand it changes? Sometimes legislation is put forward not to pass, but to just give the appearance of an attempt at change. Co-CEO Richard Denniss explains what he calls “bluff bills” in the latest episode of “What’s the Point?”.

Listen here or wherever you listen to your podcasts! ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/whats-the-point-of-the-crossbench/

Buy Richard’s latest Vantage Point essay here! ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/store/more-fool-me-vantage-point-issue-6

28/08/2026

There are two main methods for the Albanese government to get legislation through the Senate, and which one they often choose says a lot. In the latest episode of “What’s the Point?” co-CEO Richard Denniss compares the two, and explains which method led to recent poor reforms.

Listen here or wherever you listen to your podcasts! ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/whats-the-point-of-the-crossbench/

Buy Richard’s latest Vantage Point essay here! ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/store/more-fool-me-vantage-point-issue-6

28/08/2026

If the Greens are in such an advantageous position in the parliament, how did the cuts to the NDIS and weak gambling reforms pass the Senate? Don’t Labor and the Coalition disagree on everything? Co-CEO Richard Denniss dissects the political deals that led to these ineffective legislation changes in the latest episode of “What’s the Point?”.

Listen here or wherever you listen to your podcasts! ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/post/whats-the-point-of-the-crossbench/

Buy Richard’s latest Vantage Point essay here! ⤵️
australiainstitute.org.au/store/more-fool-me-vantage-point-issue-6

“Seeing a specialist has become a luxury rather than a way for any Australian to receive treatment for a serious health ...
28/08/2026

“Seeing a specialist has become a luxury rather than a way for any Australian to receive treatment for a serious health condition,” said Luke Slawomirski, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australia Institute.

“It has become a two-tier system where people who can pay often move quickly, while people who cannot pay are forced to wait or miss out altogether.”

Around two in five Australians see a medical specialist each year, with one in three doing so in the private sector.

However, access is becoming increasingly shaped by income, geography and the ability to navigate complex referral pathways, leaving those with the greatest need at risk of missing out.

Read the full piece on The Point: https://thepoint.com.au/new/260828-two-million-australians-are-delaying-or-skipping-specialist-apoointments-each-year-as-costs-rise

It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loo...
28/08/2026

It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loops you in on what’s going on in America and shares news and analysis that you can trust.

Read the full piece on The Point: https://thepoint.com.au/new/260828-shorter-america-this-week

"Now take that scale of demand and meet it with coal and gas – especially where there is state-owned coal and gas genera...
28/08/2026

"Now take that scale of demand and meet it with coal and gas – especially where there is state-owned coal and gas generation and transmission, rather than renewables – as Queensland and the Northern Territory have said they will do, and the rest of the country is now free to follow” writes Louise Morris, Head of Fossil Fuel Transition at the Australia Institute.

"That is not incremental new demand on fossil fuels. It is a fresh, government-endorsed reason to keep coal and gas generators running longer and harder, at the same time as Australia is supposed to be winding them down.”

Read the full piece on The Point: https://thepoint.com.au/opinions/260828-ai-data-centres-are-about-to-become-australias-newest-gas-backed-polluters

The three-day Land Forces event is held biennially, with Perth making its hosting debut later this year.WA’s Police Mini...
28/08/2026

The three-day Land Forces event is held biennially, with Perth making its hosting debut later this year.

WA’s Police Minister Reece Whitby said the Land Forces Bill will give police additional powers to establish checkpoints, stop and search people and vehicles without reason and request identity documents.

However, human rights advocates have warned the powers could be abused and used to shut down peaceful protests.

“The Cook Government is trying to create some of the most restrictive anti-protest laws in the country,” said Sarah Schwartz, legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC).

Ms Schwartz said the legislation represents an attack on the right to protest and a “significant overreach” into basic democratic freedoms.

Read the full piece on The Point: https://thepoint.com.au/new/260828-proposed-police-powers-for-wa-defence-expo-could-chill-peaceful-protest-advocates-warn

Six weeks after declaring that future large-scale data centres would need to be tied to new renewable energy projects, P...
28/08/2026

Six weeks after declaring that future large-scale data centres would need to be tied to new renewable energy projects, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has already carved out an exception.

Queensland and the Northern Territory have emerged from Wednesday’s national cabinet meeting victorious, securing the final say over how new data centres are powered, including tapping into coal and gas.

“I certainly understand that different states have different issues, but we know that the priority is keeping our energy costs low,” Mr Albanese said, according to The Australian.

Read the full piece on The Point: https://thepoint.com.au/new/260828-six-weeks-after-albanese-pledged-renewable-powered-data-centres-hes-already-made-an-exception

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