At the ATA, a big part of our job is exposing and fighting some SUPER scary stuff like government waste, high taxes and regulatory overreach; that's why we've decided to share our discoveries in this handy Halloween costume guide.
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The TGA is considering restricting access to paracetamol, including by shrinking pack sizes, limiting adults to buying only one or two packets at a time, and outright banning under 18s from purchasing without a prescription.
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It’s no secret rental prices are higher than ever and the rental crisis - a dire shortage of rentals - is impacting towns and cities across Australia. But what effect will a price ceiling have on rental supply?
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Ebony Graveur | Spectator Australia
When one human being is trying to convey an idea to another, clarity is the goal and navigating language can be a treacherous undertaking.
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Standing just outside leafy Toowoomba, the Wellcamp quarantine facility is almost brand new but already effectively defunct. Though it sleeps 1000, the facility currently houses just seven people - a figure that seems of especially poor taste as the housing crisis grips families across the country. READ MORE>>>
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Labor's plan will leave first home buyers owning just a fraction of their homes, while the government claims the rest. It is a sly scheme poised to hurt the very voters it is designed to appeal to.
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Our plan going into this budget was to rank the top three positive outcomes and three negative outcomes but sadly, due to reasons beyond our control, the budget sucked.
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Samuel Chamberlain | Tim Andrews Essay Prize winner
On one hand, polls shows an ever decreasing trust in our government and media institutions. On the other, any suggestion that pandemic health measures had gone too far were labelled ‘conspiracy theory’. This paradox reflects nearly every defect in Australia’s Covid response.
Read MoreIncreased unemployment and even more small business closures are in store if governments stick to plans to delay reopening until states hit an 80% full vaccination rate.
Read MoreGood health means different things to different people and achieving it involves a more sophisticated approach than simply avoiding all risk, at all costs.
Read MoreIn case it isn’t clear, Mr Perrottet, the people of New South Wales are crying out for freedom and you - now wielding the keys to the kingdom - have the keys to the cage.
Appearing to grasp the interplay between demand, supply and price, the IMF has suggested legislation to effectively remove a large chunk of the market - and it isn’t wealthy investors. It’s an iconic genie move - a deliberate misinterpretation of the issue at hand with a solution that misses the point.
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Soaring Aussie house prices have caused the average stamp duty bill to skyrocket. The huge “admin fee” lands on the buyer - but has generated nearly $60 billion in additional revenue for state governments.
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How much would you pay to access ABC content? Nearly all Aussie households subscribe to at least one streaming service. Is it time for the ABC to adopt a similar 'user-pays' model?
Read MoreSmall businesses will suffer if governments mandate a ‘vaccinated only’ policy, in which customers are prevented from visiting venues without first proving they have been double-jabbed against Covid-19. It’s a cost cashed-up chains may absorb but—when forced on ma and pa joints with ever-shrinking margins—will be yet another nail in the coffin for struggling small businesses.
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By Emilie Dye | The Spectator Australia
It has been rewarding to see so many of [the ATA’s] ideas make it into the NSW Budget. COVID-19 has opened the eyes of many of us to serious structural problems with the way we tax and regulate people…
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By Emilio Garcia | The Spectator
Santa came early this year for traditional media monoliths who will soon profit at the expense of independent content creators, small businesses, and everyday Australians….
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By Emilie Dye | The Spectator
Yesterday, we poor taxpayers paid the ABC to reprimand us for stockpiling alcohol in case of a lockdown. This prompted me to plop down at my home computer with a large glass of wine and say a few things about the nanny state.
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By Emilie Dye | The Spectator
Yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenburg announced their $189 billion eight-plus point plan to stimulate the economy in response to the coronavirus slowdown. For context, if the ATO were to issue a blanket tax refund to everyone working in Australia, this stimulus package would add up to $17,700 per person.
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By Emilie Dye | The Spectator
In bars across Sydney, people are raising glasses to the repeal of lockout laws. Monday marked the end of the 1:30 am lockout and moved last drinks all of 30 minutes from 3:00 am to 3:30 am for everywhere except Kings Cross and Darlinghurst. While this is a move in the right direction, the government is still choosing winners and losers under the pretence of safety.
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