Centre for Independent Studies

Graeme Watson - Captured Courts And Tribunals A Threat To Democracy | Events at CIS

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.
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Warren Mundine - Trump Voters And Greyhound Bans Meet The Real ’Deplorables’ Of The US And OZ | Events at CIS

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/
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Kay Hymowitz - Trump Voters And Greyhound Bans: Meet The Real ’Deplorables’ of the US and OZ | Events at CIS

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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Jack Mintz, Australia Dithers While Canada Acts Tax Reform | Conversations at CIS

US President Donald Trump is proposing sweeping tax cuts that will affect every other country. Australia is not well placed to respond, with a lack of major tax reform since 2001. By contrast, Canada has been a successful tax reformer, with the federal-provincial corporate tax rate falling from 43% in 2001 to 27% in 2016 and the virtual elimination of capital taxes, amongst other policies.
How will tax changes proposed by Donald Trump affect both countries? Is Canada better placed because of the recent Canadian tax reforms?
The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) and the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) hosted a joint event discussing these and other questions. This event welcomed Canadian tax expert, Dr Jack Mintz, President’s Fellow, School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and former chair of the Canada’s business tax panel that led to Canada’s reform, and Michael Potter, Research Fellow at CIS.
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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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Trigger Warning: Deplorable Cartoons | Events at CIS

The CIS hosted the book launch of Bill Leak's book 'Trigger Warning' just 3 days before he died, with special guest Sir Les Patterson.
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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/
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Trigger Warning: Deplorable Cartoons by Bill Leak, Book Launch With Sir Les Patterson | Events at CIS

The CIS hosted the book launch of Bill Leak's book 'Trigger Warning' just 3 days before he died, with special guest Sir Les Patterson.
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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
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Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/?viewAsMember=true

Of Lists Undone: Too Hard Or Not Trying? | Events at CIS

With monetary and fiscal policy instruments overextended, reforms to enhance our economy’s supply-side performance have become more necessary than ever if economic stagnation and declining living standards are to be averted.
On leaving the Productivity Commission in 2012, Gary assembled a ‘to do list’ of pro-productivity reforms drawn from Commission reviews. Have many been ticked off by now? Alas no ... indeed, new items have been added. Worse, there is a growing sense of resignation that such reforms are too hard today.
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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
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Kelly O’Dwyer: Reforming Company Tax And Income Tax | Events at CIS

Federal Member for Higgins, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Hon Kelly O'Dwyer talks at the CIS about the urgent need for company tax cuts and a focus on income tax reform.
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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
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Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/?viewAsMember=true

Trump In OZ! Could ’The Donald’ Happen Here - Q&A | Events at CIS

They said he could never win – but since January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump has been the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia.
The CIS panel event - including experts Louise Clegg, Ross Cameron & Tom Switzer - examined the crisis in ‘Establishment politics’ that brought “The Donald” to power, and discussed whether a Trump-style political revolution could happen in Australia.
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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

Tom Switzer - Trump In OZ! Could ’The Donald’ Happen Here | Events at CIS

They said he could never win – but since January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump has been the President of the United States. As the experts scramble to explain why the American people elected the most unlikely candidate in American history, the political reverberations continue to be felt around the world including in Australia.
The CIS panel event - including Tom Switzer - examined the crisis in ‘Establishment politics’ that brought “The Donald” to power, and discussed whether a Trump-style political revolution could happen in Australia.
____________________
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