Centre for Independent Studies

Professor Iain Benson - 2017 Acton Lecture on Civic Virtues And The Politics Of ’Full Drift Ahead’

Today almost everyone affirms the importance of ‘values’ but few would insist these are shared moral essentials. How is it that the most common term of our political and even private moralities became so relativistic and what, if anything, could be offered as an alternative?
Law Professor, cultural observer and theorist on religion and pluralism, Professor Iain Benson, offers us some insights and guidance on steps he argues are essential for education, justice and politics in our time.
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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.
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The Hon Andrew Robb - 100 Days Of Trump On Trade & The Impact Of Neo-Protectionism

Before his retirement from politics, Andrew Robb was Australia’s Minister for Trade and Investment in the Abbott and Turnbull Government. In this role Mr Robb negotiated Free Trade Agreements, investment roundtables and created Strategic Partnerships in our region and abroad.
As we approach the first 100 day mark of the Trump administration, it is timely to remember that the biggest impact of President Trump on Australia probably remains his first executive order scrapping the Trans Pacific Free Trade Agreement. As a small trading nation, Australia’s prosperity is threatened by the rise of neo-Protectionism both abroad and locally. Drawing on his vast experience of free trade agreements with South Korea, Japan and China, as well as the 12 country of the Trans Pacific Free Trade Agreement on Australia’s behalf, the Hon. Andrew Robb, explains why freer trade is in our national interest – and why America’s turn towards protectionism under Trump is bad news for the Australian economy.
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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.
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The Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, UK Minister of State for School Standards

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check; implementation of the Shanghai model of maths education in thousands of schools; and the expansion of free schools and academies. These reforms and others were driven by evidence of how children learn and policies that maximise opportunities for children to attend high quality schools. What does an evidence-based education look like and why is it so important? What can England and Australia learn from each other?
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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/
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The Hon Rob Stokes MP, NSW Minister For Education

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check; implementation of the Shanghai model of maths education in thousands of schools; and the expansion of free schools and academies. These reforms and others were driven by evidence of how children learn and policies that maximise opportunities for children to attend high quality schools. What does an evidence-based education look like and why is it so important? What can England and Australia learn from each other?
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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/
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Mark Scott AO, Secretary Of NSW Department Of Education

England’s schools have undergone substantial changes in the last decade, including: introducing systematic phonics teaching and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check; implementation of the Shanghai model of maths education in thousands of schools; and the expansion of free schools and academies. These reforms and others were driven by evidence of how children learn and policies that maximise opportunities for children to attend high quality schools. What does an evidence-based education look like and why is it so important? What can England and Australia learn from each other?
____________________
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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Henry Ergas - People, Politics & The New Populism

How does the recent tsunami of populism differ from the past waves? Why are traditional political parties of the centre-right and the centre-left struggling to hold on to their constituencies? At the heart of the challenges they face is the rise of populist movements — ones that straddle the left/right divide, combining elements of nationalism and social conservatism with the defence of entitlement programs, public ownership and protectionism. Professor Ergas’ presentation, which was intended to provoke discussion, focused on some of the causes and consequences of these trends.
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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/
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Kay Hymowitz - Faux Feminism Traffic Light Equality

The contemporary western feminist movement has lost its way. Over the past century the feminist movement has achieved remarkable advances in securing equal rights for women in the West, but in other regions around the world women are still treated as second class citizens, the recent push for gender-equal traffic lights in Melbourne has trivialised the important issue of gender equality. Rather than fake feminist causes, how should we address the real obstacles to women’s freedom and opportunities in Australia and around the world?
Visiting US expert Kay Hymowitz from New York’s Manhattan Institute and Judith Sloane, economist and contributing economics editor at The Australian discussed why the sisterhood is failing women on many vital political, social and cultural issues.
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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/
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Graeme Watson - Captured Courts And Tribunals A Threat To Democracy

In his first speech since retiring, and in light of the Fair Work Commission’s ruling to reform Sunday penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors, Graeme Watson spoke on his more than 10 years’ experience as Vice President of the Commission.
Recently described as ‘one of the most brilliant industrial lawyers of his time’, his letter of resignation to Employment Minister Michaelia Cash outlined that in his view the operation of the Workplace Relations system was undermining the objects of the Fair Work Act of promoting national economic prosperity and social inclusion. His letter led Peter Costello to liken him to Samson in the Bible — ‘shaking the pillars of the system to bring it down on the heads of the Philistines’.
Overt capture of independent courts and tribunals is a feature of undemocratic societies, dictatorships and autocracies. It undermines a key element of democracy, the rule of law.
Alarmingly, there is clear evidence of this undermining of some of our pillars of western democracy. But capture is even more damaging when it is covert, hiding behind an air of legitimacy and independence. Society needs to be ever vigilant to this threat. Interference and capture needs to be exposed and eliminated — not avoided for fear of committing the same vice of interference. Scrutiny and holding our institutions to account based on the fundamental principles of democracy are obligations we all share.
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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/
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Warren Mundine - Trump Voters And Greyhound Bans Meet The Real ’Deplorables’ Of The US And OZ

Most explanations offered for Donald Trump’s ‘inexplicable’ victory in the American Presidential election have resorted to crude stereotypes about the opinions and attitudes of the ‘Deplorables’ – the AKA ‘low information’ voters’ who voted #1 for Trump. These explanations – which are offered by the same kinds of ‘insiders’ who probably thought the NSW Greyhound Racing Ban was a great idea (until it helped end the political career of a hitherto popular Premier) – simply serve to widen gap of mutual disdain and misunderstanding between the political class and ordinary citizens.
Warren Mundine was invited to the CIS to share his insights on these matters.
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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/
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Kay Hymowitz - Trump Voters And Greyhound Bans: Meet The Real ’Deplorables’ of the US and OZ

Most explanations offered for Donald Trump’s ‘inexplicable’ victory in the American Presidential election have resorted to crude stereotypes about the opinions and attitudes of the ‘Deplorables’ – the AKA ‘low information voters’ who voted #1 for Trump. These explanations – which are offered by the same kinds of ‘insiders’ who probably thought the NSW Greyhound Racing Ban was a great idea (until it helped end the political career of a hitherto popular Premier) – simply serve to widen gap of mutual disdain and misunderstanding between the political class and ordinary citizens.
Kay Hymowitz gave a speech at CIS to share her insights on this 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/
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