Per Capita Australia

05/06/2026

Our research for YWCA found that investing in housing that helps women, children and families achieve long-term stability doesn’t just change lives, it saves public money too. Housing stability reduces demand on health, justice and homelessness systems, strengthens family wellbeing, improves safety, and enhances economic participation.

Women experience homelessness differently to men due to lower average incomes, gender pay and superannuation gaps, disproportionate caring responsibilities, and higher exposure to family violence.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/investing-in-housing-for-women-and-families-delivers-billions-in-social-and-economic-returns-new-report-finds/

YWCA research today finds that every dollar invested in gender-responsive social and affordable housing delivers billions in returns.

27/05/2026

Charities play an outsize role in the social, cultural and economic life of the nation, delivering goods and services on which lives depend. To effectively serve their communities, charities also participate in politics: campaigning for changes to law and government policy, challenging government decisions, and seeking to influence public opinion on contested issues. But charities that speak out politically have long had a difficult time in law. For many years, Australian charities engaging in political advocacy risked losing their charity status under an old common law rule. In a landmark decision in 2010, the High Court of Australia swept that rule away, but since then, successive federal governments have tried to use law in different ways to interfere with charity advocacy thought to be politically embarrassing or undesirable.

Charities matter, and so does the legal framework in which they operate. Charities & Politics argues for a principled approach to the legal task of ascertaining the public benefit of charity advocacy—an approach underpinned by liberal democratic values. This would provide charities with a powerful framework to resist government efforts to interfere when they speak out.

Join us for lunch and discussion with Matthew Harding, author of "Charities and Politics: A Principled Approach"

https://events.humanitix.com/john-cain-lunch-june-charities-and-politics

14/05/2026

This week’s Federal Budget includes some bold steps towards fixing a system that has disadvantaged younger Australians for decades.

28/04/2026

Gender Equality is facing new challenges in 2026, including rising authoritarianism, misogynistic anti rights figures, nudifying apps and other tech-facilitated abuse. The good news is there are phenomenal people and groups around the world leading the way in dismantling harmful gender stereotypes, challenging unfair policies, creating shared prosperity and building a gender equal future.

Join us for lunch on Wednesday 20 May where Gender Equity Victoria CEO Micaela Drieberg will provide an update on the state of gender equality in 2026 at home and abroad.

https://events.humanitix.com/john-cain-lunch-may-gender-equality-in-2026-with-micaela-drieberg

10/04/2026

The five day working week was created at a time when most working people were men who had wives at home who managed the child care and housework. Society has changed dramatically since then, but our work hours haven't. "Eight hours work, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest" wouldn't accurately describe anyone's life these days.

Nowadays, where there are two partners in a household, frequently both partners work. Single parent households are more common. Commutes are longer.

Many organisations are asking if it's time to rethink how much of our lives is spent working. Australian workers now produce as much in a day as our grandparents did in a week. Yet the hours worked by households have increased, not decreased.

Per Capita Executive Director Dr Wesa Chau spoke to journalist Melinda Hayter at the ABC about making work fairer for workers.

Many organisations have trialled a four-day working week with great results. Obviously there are many nuanced circumstances to consider, but that didn't stop the labour movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-02/murrumbidgee-council-four-day-work-week/106519800

Millions of Australians are about to enjoy two consecutive four-day working weeks due to the Easter long weekend. One council in regional NSW wants to make that a permanent set up.

08/04/2026

LAST CHANCE TO GET YOUR TICKET TO THE APRIL JOHN CAIN LUNCH!

TICKETS CLOSE FRIDAY 10 APRIL, 12PM.

Migration debates are a recurring feature of Australian politics. But what does the evidence tell us?

At our April John Cain Lunch we will hear from Melbourne University's Professor Karen Block about her research on the interplay between host communities and migrants and the complex ways in which this interaction affects health inequalities, integration, inclusion and social cohesion.

Wed, 15 Apr, 12:30pm - 2pm AEST

Get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/john-cain-lunch-april-migration-debates-a-recurring-feature-of-australian-politics?mc_cid=d51a02d4c8&mc_eid=8e72f935bc

06/04/2026

"Giving people the tools to better understand how they use AI is not justgood for human creators, it is also a critical step in educating people on the way these systems operate, which are often opaque."

Without effective regulation of AI, society is facing a head-on collision with a driverless car - Peter Lewis

Read the full article in the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/11/ai-artificial-intelligence-regulation-society

01/04/2026

Migration debates are a recurring feature of Australian politics. But what does the evidence tell us? At our April John Cain Lunch we will hear from Melbourne University's Professor Karen Block about her research on the interplay between host communities and migrants and the complex ways in which this interaction affects health inequalities, integration, inclusion and social cohesion.

Wed, 15 Apr, 12:30pm - 2pm AEST
TICKETS CLOSE FRIDAY 10 APRIL, 12PM.

Get your tickets here:

Get tickets on Humanitix - John Cain Lunch (April): Migration debates - A recurring feature of Australian politics, with Prof Karen Block hosted by Per Capita Australia. Graduate House, Melbourne University, 220 Leicester St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia. Wednesday 15th April 2026. Find event informa...

31/03/2026

"Wealth inequality is one of our most significant structural challenges of our country today. While there is no single policy that is solely responsible, we believe that the CGT discount plays a meaningful role in shaping how wealth is accumulated and distributed."

Dr Wesa Chau speaking at the Senate Select Committee on the Operation of the CGT Discount.

Listen to the committee here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/EKmJwuT7nZ0

31/03/2026

Former Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel, tells of how technology, AI in particular, is growing at a rapid rate, in places like China where regulations are lax.

He also outlines his new venture, ‘Proudly Human to allow creators to verify their work in the ocean of slop, on the Burning Platforms podcast.

Watch Burning Platforms here: https://youtu.be/S_TY6yIQII8