What You Need To Know About | CIS

Why Australia Needs Universal Early Numeracy Screening

International data have repeatedly shown many Australian school students struggle with mathematics. Around 10% of students achieve at a level that requires additional support (NAPLAN) or are below the international benchmark Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) — which is the equivalent of around 400,000 Australian students per year. More than a quarter of 15-year-olds are low performers in the subject. Learn what you need to know about Why Australia Needs Universal Early Numeracy Screening. Kelly Norris is a Senior Research Associate at CIS working on evidence-based identification and intervention processes for students with or at risk of maths difficulties. Prior to joining CIS in 2024, she has worked as a university lecturer, educational consultant, product developer, consultant teacher and classroom teacher with a particular focus on effective intervention within a multitiered system of support (MTSS). She holds a Bachelor of Education, Graduate Certificate of Education (learning difficulties) and Master of Education. In the latter research she investigated strategies and tools to improve identification and support for students with mathematical difficulties.#auspol 

The Impact of the Shadow Carbon Price

The federal, state and territory Energy Ministers have introduced a shadow carbon price for the national electricity market. This ‘value of emissions reduction’ (VER) sets the value of carbon abatement at $66 per tonne in 2023, rising six-fold to $420 by 2050. Costs will be passed onto consumers through electricity network projects because the regulatory investment framework will now include the interim VER as a benefit in their cost benefit analyses. This change is likely to increase the assessed benefits of projects that claim to reduce emissions, projects which might otherwise have been deemed uneconomic.Read the rest of this research here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-impact-of-a-shadow-carbon-price-on-our-electricity-bills/ Hosted by Karla Pincott, What You Need to Know About is the podcast that covers exactly that. Hear from CIS' experts on the key points of their research, providing you with concise and insightful overviews of complex topics. In each episode, we break down intricate policy issues, economic trends, social challenges, and more, delivering the essential information you need to stay informed in today's fast-paced world.
 
Join us as we cut through the noise and dive straight into the heart of matters that shape our society. Whether you're a policy enthusiast, a curious mind, or just someone looking to grasp the essentials without getting lost in the details, What You Need to Know About is your go-to source for bite-sized yet comprehensive insights.Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CISAus Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/  Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/  Telegram - https://t.me/centreforindependentstudies #auspol #nuclear #nuclearaustralia #australia #energymarket #energy #netzero #net0 #cis 

The six fundamental flaws underpinning the energy transition

The Australian Government wants to transition our electricity system to net zero carbon emissions by relying on wind and solar power – excluding alternatives such as small nuclear reactors. Its justification for this switch rests on the claim that a renewables-dominated system is environmentally beneficial and economically superior to using fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
But its premise is based on a flawed argument which has left out key elements which portray a different picture.
Dive in with Karla Pincott and Aidan Morrison, the Director of Energy Research, to learn what you need to know about the six fundamental flaws underpinning the energy transition. You can also read the whole paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-six-fundamental-flaws-underpinning-the-energy-transition/ 
Hosted by Karla Pincott, What You Need to Know About is the podcast that covers exactly that. Hear from CIS experts on the key points in their research, providing you with concise and insightful overviews of complex topics. In each episode, Karla breaks down intricate policy issues, economic trends, social challenges, and more, delivering the essential information you need to stay informed in today's fast-paced world.Join us as we cut through the noise and dive straight into the heart of matters that shape our society. Whether you're a policy enthusiast, a curious mind, or just someone looking to grasp the essentials without getting lost in the details, What You Need to Know About is your go-to source for bite-sized yet comprehensive insights.#auspol #nuclear #energytransition 

The Science of Learning

The science of learning represents an opportunity to design instruction in a way that is likely to lead to most students’ success with learning. The evidence suggests explicit instruction of a well-sequenced knowledge-focused curriculum will lead to that success.
But, what is the science of learning?
Let's dive in with Trisha Jha to find out. All our links: https://linktr.ee/centreforindependentstudies#auspol #scienceoflearning #teaching 

Australia's 100+ Taxes

Leading economists Robert Carling and Warren Hogan discuss our true tax burden, which is higher than most people believe. They outline how it has grown, why the federal and state governments are not interested in relieving the burden on Australians — and what needs to be done to prevent us sliding into a very grim future.#auspol All our links: https://linktr.ee/centreforindependentstudies

Greedflation: Inflation with an Agenda - With Warren Hogan

Warren Hogan is an eminent economist, and the founder of EQ Economics, a Sydney-based micro advisory firm, with a focus on providing economic and strategic advice to businesses in Australia. Warren is a regular in Australian and international media, and a columnist for The Australian Financial Review. He has also published extensively in The Conversation.
In this episode, Warren debunks to notion of greedflation and explains what you need to know about inflation in Australia. "What will determine whether inflation sustains a lift above the target band will come down to what happens in Australian labour markets, and how businesses respond to rising nominal wage growth." - Warren Hogan. 

Alleged politicisation of the public sector.

In this special episode, Dr Scott Prasser and Prof John McMillan debate over the politicisation of the public sector.
Dr Scott Prasser is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies and a former senior advisor to federal cabinet ministers.
Prof John McMillan is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University. He has held former statutory positions of Commonwealth Ombudsman, Australian Information Commissioner, Integrity Commissioner for the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (Acting) and NSW Ombudsman (Acting). He was Strategic Adviser to the Victorian Ombudsman for its inquiry into allegations of politicisation in the Victorian public sector.

How wasteful spending pushes up major infrastructure costs

Read the paper here. A large amount of taxpayers’ money, state and federal, is expended on large scale infrastructure that is intended to play a crucial part in Australia’s growth and prosperity — although some of it is arguably wasteful or perhaps even pork-barrelling. And as the recent federal government Infrastructure Investment Review found in axing around 50 planned projects, some “do not demonstrate merit, lack any national strategic rationale and do not meet the Australian Government’s national investment priorities. In many cases these projects are also at high risk of further cost pressures and/or delays.”
But major infrastructure projects in Australia are often also more expensive than comparable projects in other countries, even after even after adjusting for differences in currencies and purchasing power.
While a 2014 Productivity Commission Inquiry report on public infrastructure argued that there were examples where Australia was competitive internationally, and that the systematic evidence was missing or incomplete, it noted that several commentators argued Australia performed worse than other countries. The PC, while arguing for substantial reform to our infrastructure processes, also noted there was “considerable uncertainty about many facets of construction costs. There are sometimes large and inexplicable variations in the construction costs for what appear to be similar activities, such as the cost per kilometre of rail projects.”
It is unlikely that much has improved since 2014, especially given the findings of the recent review and estimates that construction costs increased more than 25% over the five years to mid-2022.
There are several factors that contribute to the higher costs of major infrastructure in Australia. The available evidence on major infrastructure construction costs shows that there have been some recent significant increases in input costs. This particularly applies to labour and project management costs, plus contract design, complexity and poor management leading to risk offloading, cost over-runs and costly schedule over-runs. However, it is important to note that the cost of projects can also vary based on specific circumstances, project scope, and other factors.
As listed below, and explained in more detail in the subsequent sections related to costs, factors that can contribute to higher costs for Australian infrastructure projects include:
Labour and Industrial Relations: Australia generally has higher labour costs compared with many other countries. Wages, benefits, and labour regulations can contribute to higher project costs.
Lower Productivity: Productivity is hampered by the lack of a sufficiently educated, skilled and engaged workforce, an efficient work environment, innovation, efficient procurement models and ultimately trust between industry stakeholders.
Regulations and Standards: Australia has strict regulations and standards when it comes to construction, safety, and environmental considerations. Compliance with these regulations often adds to the complexity and cost of infrastructure projects.
Design Complexity: Infrastructure projects in Australia often involve complex engineering and design requirements. This can include considerations such as environmental impact, sustainability, and resilience, which may contribute to increased costs.
Project Management: Effective project management is crucial for successful infrastructure projects. Factors like inefficient planning, delays, and changes in scope can contribute to cost overruns.
Risk Offloading: Project cost is often inflated in Australia by a misguided focus on unloading risk in the early stages of a project’s development. This is often driven by the type of contract that is presented to the industry by lawyers, with the objective of minimising up-front costs and putting most of the risks on the contractors. This practice is not generally followed in other countries, which look at ‘whole of Life’ costs and benefits, resulting in a more cooperative and cheaper outcome.
***Hosted by Karla Pincott, What You Need to Know About is the podcast that covers exactly that. Hear from CIS’ experts on the key points of their research, providing you with concise and insightful overviews of complex topics. In each episode, we break down intricate policy issues, economic trends, social challenges, and more, delivering the essential information you need to stay informed in today’s fast-paced world. Join us as we cut through the noise and dive straight into the heart of matters that shape our society. Whether you’re a policy enthusiast, a curious mind, or just someone looking to grasp the essentials without getting lost in the details, What You Need to Know About is your go-to source for bite-sized yet comprehensive insights.

The Stealth Tax

Bracket creep chips away at living standards, especially those of younger generations, a new Issue Analysis by Centre for Independent Studies outlines.  
The paper’s authors, Matthew Taylor and Emilie Dye, point out that Australia’s younger workers have the most to lose from bracket creep because bracket creep is regressive and hits harder for those earlier in their careers and making less money.  Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/bracket-creep-hits-young-australians-hardest/
Hosted by Karla Pincott, What You Need to Know About is the podcast that covers exactly that. Hear from CIS’ experts on the key points of their research, providing you with concise and insightful overviews of complex topics. In each episode, we break down intricate policy issues, economic trends, social challenges, and more, delivering the essential information you need to stay informed in today’s fast-paced world. Join us as we cut through the noise and dive straight into the heart of matters that shape our society. Whether you’re a policy enthusiast, a curious mind, or just someone looking to grasp the essentials without getting lost in the details, What You Need to Know About is your go-to source for bite-sized yet comprehensive insights.

Six ways to Debunk Degrowth

Increasingly there are calls for degrowth, not just to abandon the pursuit of economic growth, but to shrink economies. The call for degrowth comes from environmentalists, including activists in groups such as Extinction Rebellion, and some economists, particularly in the field of ecological economics.  It is related to concerns about climate change, pollution, species extinction, and resource exhaustion. Economic growth is to blame, proponents say, and the proposed solution is degrowth, an aggressive contraction of economic activity that requires an acceptance of significantly lower living standards.
Listen as Gene Tunny and Karla Pincott discuss six things you need to know about degrowth.