Centre for Independent Studies

On Liberty EP103 | Melissa Montiero | Migrant Communities In Australia

Guest host Glenn Fahey returns to discuss challenges facing new immigrants to Australia with Melissa Monteiro, CEO of the Community Migrant Resource Centre.
As a community practitioner, Melissa has worked to ensure peoples from worn-torn nations are able to find community and start life new, particularly those immigrants from less-developed countries who settle in Western Sydney.
In a report from 2016 from the Forum on the Settlement of Syrian and Iraqi Refugees, it showed that over 30 agencies representing government, local services, schools, religious and civil society organisations were brought together to focus on the key settlement issues that will confront this particular cohort of Syrian and Iraqi humanitarian entrants. Focusing on areas such as education, employment training, health and short- and long-term housing. It takes an incredible amount of community resources manpower to set up resettlements for newly arriving migrants.
Are we seeing a greater influx of migrants then previously before? What is the most efficient and effective way to resettle humanitarian migrant entrants? What resources are available for those seeking asylum in Australia? Are local communities having to pick the slack for Government failures on immigration?

On Liberty EP102 | John Kehoe | 2022 Federal Budget Recap Part 2

Guest host Simon Cowan reenters the budget bunker to discuss the second federal budget in 2022 with Australian Financial Review Economics editor in Parliament House, Canberra John Kehoe. Simon and John break down the budget and cover what the mainstream media has missed.
It's Labor's turn. After a victory in the Federal Election in part due to the former Liberal Government's mishandling of the economy, the new Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to deliver his 'wellness' budget. Are we set for more big government spending? Can Labor turn around Australia's deficit woes? Will Labor keep their promise of additional funding to health and defence?

On Liberty EP101 | Yun Jiang | Rising Nationalism Amongst China’s Youth

Salvatore Babones returns to discuss the rise of nationalism amongst China's youth with Yun Jiang, inaugural China Matters Fellow at the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
China’s youths have become more nationalistic, especially compared to the previous generation. Many outside China attribute the increasing nationalism to the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s patriotic education campaign as well as its control of information in China.
According to Yun Jiang, it would be wrong to see this rising nationalism as purely a result of brainwashing, instead, that is just one of many factors. The current generation of middle-class millennials have grown up during an era in which China has become more prosperous and powerful. Therefore, for them, especially those living in big cities of Shanghai or Shenzhen, they feel greater pride in China’s achievements.
Does the growing nationalism bolster Xi Jinping's power? What does this mean for the future of China's Communist political system? Are younger Chinese men and women willing to embrace western ideals?

How to become the world's strictest headmistress | Katharine Birbalsingh | Events at CIS

Katharine is a leading figure in education practice and policy and founder as well as principal of London's Michaela Community School.
It’s no secret that Australian schools’ performance has been in decline for many years. That’s not for a lack of funding, nor a lack of commitment from countless dedicated educators. But more can be done to advance the learning of all students, no matter their background.
It’s a culture of high expectations, consistently well-managed classes, high behavioural standards, and commitment to explicit teaching that are the not-so-secret sauce behind educational success.
There is no better example of this in the world than the London-based, Michaela Community School.
Despite serving mostly disadvantaged students, they’ve delivered exceptional outcomes. More than half of their school leavers have achieved the equivalent of an A grade — more than 2.5 times better than the national average — helping to earn Michaela international praise.

On Liberty EP100 | Salvatore Babones | Liberty Learnt Over 100 Episodes

To celebrate 100 Episodes of On Liberty we flip the script and CIS executive director Tom Switzer interviews regular On Liberty host Salvatore Babones.
Over 100 episodes, Salvatore has interviewed a wide range of guests on an incredible range of topics. We hear from Salvatore on what he has learnt about Classical Liberalism and political orthodoxy in Australia and around the world from his many interviews. As well as how On Liberty has shaped Salvatore's views, his new position as Director of China and Free Societies at CIS and what's next for the international affairs portfolio at CIS.

On Liberty EP99 | Jack McGuire | Teachers And Nurses Deserve Choice, Not Monopoly Unions

We welcome Red Union Managing Director, Jack McGuire. Jack argues there are not enough options available to workers to seek representation – ultimately restricting freedom of association. Instead, workers have little choice but to engage with legacy monopoly unions – regardless of whether or not they share the union’s political motivations or policy advocacy.
The only way to ensure constructive representation of members, according to Jack, is to have professional associations governed by practicing teachers and nurses, not professional union officials.
Under the current anti-competitive settings, teachers and nurses are little more than cash cows for political purposes. But the interests of members must come before politics.
Without more dynamic representation, workers will continue to face inflexible and impractical working conditions. The status quo entrenches big unions and big business and marginalizes small business and workers that require flexibility.
Are monopoly unions failing to advance the interests and status of key members, like teachers and nurses? Why do traditional unions oppose competition? Why is membership demand so high for alternatives to traditional unions?

On Liberty EP98 | Peter Gregory | The Territory Gap

We welcomed Peter Gregory, author of the CIS paper The Territory Gap: Comparing Australia's remote Indigenous communities.
The absolute and relative deprivation experienced by Indigenous people in remote and very remote Australia is well known. However, Indigenous people in remote areas are often lumped together as a single national category. There is little understanding of how the different states and territories perform in terms of the economic wellbeing of Indigenous people in remote and very remote areas.
The major finding of this research is that the Northern Territory has the worst economic outcomes for Indigenous people in remote or very remote locations of any state or territory in Australia by some margin, while South Australia has the best.
Why are remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory struggling? What is being done to help remote communities to ensure they thrive? Why are seeing the gaps in economic wellbeing across remote communities?

S3E3 | Emilie Dye ”I’m the the expert in me” —the value of individual freedom

In this discussion we hear a youthful take on Liberalism, Emilie is Australian Lead at Young Voices, an Advisor at GT Communications and former policy director at the Australian Taxpayers Alliance. Emily understands Liberalism as based on the understanding that only an individual can know what is best for their life. However, she is also aware that many of her generation are disillusioned with how they see the world and wrongly see the solution as more government.

S3E1 | Ruth Richardson ’What’s needed to revive liberalism; ideas and a spine’

A fierce reformer for liberalism, Ruth Richardson is asked whether the ship of reforming liberalism has sailed in the light of the many setbacks it has experienced in the last decades. They discuss how the restoration liberalism to its dynamic rightful place will depend on three things, the ideas of freedom, the institutions that buttress that freedom, and the individuals who champion that freedom—all of which have been missing of late.

S3E2 | Tom Switzer ’The power of choice that makes society better—even if it not appreciated’

Rob sits down the Centre for Independent Studies executive director Tom Switzer. Tom discusses with Rob what so called ‘Classical Liberalism’ is and why he is convinced it is best for society. This leads to the question if it works better, why don’t more people believe in it?