Centre for Independent Studies

Bill McMahon, an eccentric economic reformer?

William McMahon was a significant, if widely derided and disliked, figure in Australian politics. Was he our worst prime minister? How did he get to the Lodge? Was he the first free-market “dry” politician to take on the orthodoxies of protectionism and economic interventionism?
The first biography of our 20th prime minister tells the story of his life and his role in the great debates over Australia’s economic direction in the 1960s and 1970s. A man whose life was coloured by tragedy, comedy, persistence, courage, farce and failure. McMahon’s story has never been told at length – until now.
Join Patrick Mullins, author of Tiberius with a Telephone: the Life and Stories of William McMahon (Scribe) with The Australian’s Editor-at-Large Paul Kelly for a conversation about one of our most intriguing prime ministers and his place in Australian political and economic history.
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cis.org.au

A Democratic wave or Trump triumph? US Mid Terms 2018 Elections Results

US midterm elections are usually bad for the President’s party, but amid a booming economy this year’s congressional races are more difficult to predict.
The jobless rate recently fell to 3.7 per cent (the lowest since 1969) and the stock market (shrugging off the Trump tariffs) keeps surging to new highs. Meanwhile, both Republicans and Democrats will use Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court to fuel enthusiasm and turnout for the midterms.
Watch Tom Switzer alongside panelists: Greg Sheridan is foreign editor of The Australian; Bob Carr, a former foreign minister, is director of the Australia-China Relations Institute; and April Palmerlee is chief executive officer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia - discussing on elections' night the results of the midterms and what they mean for American politics and foreign policy.
Follow the CIS on Twitter @CISOZ or find us on Facebook 'The Centre for Independent Studies' for more updates.
cis.org.au

Luke Foley: Values & His Vision for the Labor Party

The NSW Opposition leader visited the CIS to set out an overview of Labor’s vision ahead of the March 2019 state election and how his values of a fair go affect public policy.
In 2010 Luke was elected to the Legislative Council of NSW. Since 2015 he has been leader of the NSW Labor Party and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney.
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cis.org.au

Daniel Hannan - Speech to the CIS’s 2018 JBL Gala Dinner

The vision of the John Bonython Lecture is to inspire Australians to advance principles that constitute a Free Society -- to promote free choice, individual liberty, defend cultural freedom, and the open exchange of ideas. This year's lecture was no different, as we welcomed Daniel Hannan to take the stage which has previously showcased Francis Fukuyama, Rupert Murdoch and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Daniel Hannan is a leading British writer and journalist. After 17 years as a Member of the European Parliament, campaigning for British withdrawal from the EU, he succeeded in abolishing his job in the Brexit referendum on 23 June 2016. Author of nine books, including New York Times bestseller Inventing Freedom: How the English-Speaking Peoples Made the Western World and Sunday Times bestseller Vote Leave. His latest is What Next: How to get the best from Brexit.
Follow the CIS on Twitter @CISOZ or find us on Facebook 'The Centre for Independent Studies' for more updates.
cis.org.au

Daniel Hannan - Conversation to the CIS’s 2018 JBL Gala Dinner

The vision of the John Bonython Lecture is to inspire Australians to advance principles that constitute a Free Society -- to promote free choice, individual liberty, defend cultural freedom, and the open exchange of ideas. This year's lecture was no different, as we welcomed Daniel Hannan to take the stage which has previously showcased Francis Fukuyama, Rupert Murdoch and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Daniel Hannan is a leading British writer and journalist. After 17 years as a Member of the European Parliament, campaigning for British withdrawal from the EU, he succeeded in abolishing his job in the Brexit referendum on 23 June 2016. Author of nine books, including New York Times bestseller Inventing Freedom: How the English-Speaking Peoples Made the Western World and Sunday Times bestseller Vote Leave. His latest is What Next: How to get the best from Brexit.
Follow the CIS on Twitter @CISOZ or find us on Facebook 'The Centre for Independent Studies' for more updates.
cis.org.au

The Manchurian Campus? Threats to Free Speech in Higher Education with The Hon. Rob Stokes MP

Amidst the debate about Chinese influence in Australia, NSW Minister for Education, the Hon. Rob Stokes MP, sat down with CIS Executive Director, Tom Switzer to discuss a range of issues that are crucial to the future of free speech in Australian universities.
Most discussion of threats to free speech in Australian universities focuses on the impact of identity politics and political correctness.
Yet a bigger threat to free speech on Australian campuses may be the heavy reliance of the multi-billion-dollar higher education sector on fee-paying international students — especially from China.
How do universities pursue their commercial objectives without compromising academic freedom? How do we deal with an increasingly assertive Chinese Government willing to flex its economic power and international muscle?
Follow the CIS on Twitter @CISOZ or find us on Facebook 'The Centre for Independent Studies' for more updates.
cis.org.au

James Bartholomew on Millennials’ ignorance of Communism

There is a natural impulse in people to bring the rich and powerful down - to create equality and a better, more decent society. The impulse was drowned out for the latter part of the 20th century by knowledge in the West of how horribly wrong the Communist experiments had gone. However, new generations are growing up knowing little or nothing about what happened. They have no intellectual defence against the apparent idealism of Marxist thought and are increasingly tempted to accept it.
James Bartholomew is columnist and former editorial writer for the Daily Telegraph in London. He also worked for the Financial Times and the Far Eastern Economic Review, in Hong Kong and Tokyo. He is author of The Welfare of Nations. He coined the term “virtue signalling” in The Spectator in 2015.
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The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make sure good policy ideas are heard and seriously considered so that Australia can continue to prosper into the future.
Check out the CIS at - https://www.cis.org.au/
Subscribe to CIS mailing list- https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/
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Does Inequality Matter?

A recent Productivity Commission report, Rising Inequality? A stocktake of the evidence, shows that although inequality has risen, Australia retains a high degree of economic mobility.
With that, our panel - Jonathan Coppel, Melinda Cilento, Simon Cowan and Robert Carling - thrashed out the issues and sought to answer the question: Does inequality matter?
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The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make sure good policy ideas are heard and seriously considered so that Australia can continue to prosper into the future.
Check out the CIS at - https://www.cis.org.au/
Subscribe to CIS mailing list- https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/
Support us with a tax-deductible donation at - https://www.cis.org.au/support/
Join the CIS as a member at - https://www.cis.org.au/join-cis/
Follow CIS on Socials
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZ
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/?viewAsMember=true

Australia, Brexit, and Populism - Andrew Neil

Andrew Neil is the presenter of Daily Politics, This Week (the BBC’s leading political television shows), and is recognised as one of Britain’s most distinguished broadcasters and political journalists.
Join Andrew Neil in conversation with CIS executive director Tom Switzer, about the state of politics in Australia, where political instability isn't really that bad, about the political landscape in Britain and how the prospect of a no deal Brexit is looming closer.
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The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make sure good policy ideas are heard and seriously considered so that Australia can continue to prosper into the future.
Check out the CIS at - https://www.cis.org.au/
Subscribe to CIS mailing list- https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/
Support us with a tax-deductible donation at - https://www.cis.org.au/support/
Join the CIS as a member at - https://www.cis.org.au/join-cis/
Follow CIS on Socials
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZ
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/?viewAsMember=true

Tony Abbott on the state of Australia’s political landscape

Tumultuous events in Canberra during the course of the last week, led to a change of Prime Ministers.
Join Tony Abbott as he delivers his views on the current state of the Liberal Party, the potential of the new government announced and a broader discussion on the state of Australia’s political landscape.
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The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) promotes free choice and individual liberty, and defends cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make sure good policy ideas are heard and seriously considered so that Australia can continue to prosper into the future.
Check out the CIS at - https://www.cis.org.au/
Subscribe to CIS mailing list- https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/
Support us with a tax-deductible donation at - https://www.cis.org.au/support/
Join the CIS as a member at - https://www.cis.org.au/join-cis/
Follow CIS on Socials
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZ
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/?viewAsMember=true