Policy Researcher : Energy, Arts & Aid Insight

Hottest or not? Government support for Australian music

23 Jan 2026 Morgan Harrington, Rod Campbell, Frank Yuan, Edward Williams

The Australia Institute

Australians are spending more on music than ever before, but less is going to Australian artists. Policy support matters – Australia’s arts funding is among the lowest in the developed world. United States artists dominate Australian charts, but the example of Taiwan shows what better support for the arts can do. Read more

Understanding the December 2025 gas policy scramble

8 Dec 2025 Rod Campbell, Mark Ogge

The Australia Institute

The Australian Government has accepted that gas exports are causing supply shortages and raising energy prices for Australians. This paper examines two policy options reportedly considered by the Government that would favour rival gas companies, and that may or may not be effective in reducing gas prices for some users. Read more

Reversing the decline of Australian music

27 Nov 2025 Will Page, Morgan Harrington

The Australia Institute

Australia’s recorded music industry is making more money, but less of it is staying in Australia. This paper suggests two ways that new artists could be better supported : by supporting local content curators on radio and streaming services; and by providing grants to enable touring artists to extend their tours. Read more

Bringing transparency to corporate charity

26 Nov 2025 Bill Browne, Tony Shields, Tom Hawking, Jack Thrower, Skye Predavec

The Australia Institute

There are currently no disclosure standards for Australian companies’ charitable spending. This research into 20 of Australia’s largest corporations found that over half the value of their reported contributions to the community were dubious. Clear and consistent disclosure standards would help investors, consumers and the public make more informed decisions. Read more

Foreign aid and climate finance, Australia’s dismal track record

21 Nov 2025 Matt Saunders, Richard Denniss

The Australia Institute

This paper provides an overview of the concepts and measurement of the OECD’s and Australia’s Official Development Assistance and climate finance contributions. It finds that Australia’s support for developing countries has declined significantly over the past fifty years and concludes the Australian Government’s climate finance contribution in the five years to 2025 is zero dollars. Read more

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