Australia’s natural gas sector has transformed dramatically between 1975 and 2025. This paper outlines how Australia’s looming gas shortages are largely the product of political decisions that have stalled investment, restricted exploration and driven up energy prices. The paper argues that the very policies intended to protect consumers have made the situation worse.

Australia’s tobacco control policy has reached a breaking point. Since 2019–20, revenue has persistently fallen short of forecasts and an illicit market has expanded. This paper explains how split responsibilities and misaligned incentives have produced this outcome. The paper calls for bold policy change, summarised in three key recommendations.

The report aims to provide a balanced view of the present state of the Australian childcare system and some recommendations for reform. It finds that while public spending on childcare exceeds $14 billion annually, accessibility and quality remain uneven. It proposes that Australia’s childcare market would perform better with reduced regulatory interference and greater transparency.

This paper contributes to the debate on fiscal rules by discussing their nature and purpose, reviewing the history of their use in Australia and internationally, and proposing a set of rules suitable to the fiscal challenges of the times. It finds economic management in Australia currently lacks the guardrails provided by quantified fiscal rules.

In political science, legitimacy describes the circumstances giving rise to the right to rule over a society. This article considers different concepts of ‘legitimacy’ and their contribution to understanding the difference between the power to govern, and the right to do so. It considers certain moves in Australia to expand the protective role of government.