This report says we should welcome the gradual erosion of the mass welfare state by the move to self-funded benefits and services. Peter Saunders identifies strong economic arguments in favour of self-funding: it is more efficient, it strengthens incentives and it helps reduce the mounting pressure on government age pension and health budgets caused by...

A recent St Vincent de Paul Society report claimed income inequality in Australia is dramatically widening. Peter Saunders suggested the report was grossly exaggerated. The authors of the report responded by telling the CIS to take a Bex and have a lie down. But Saunders argues that his critique, outlined in this report, still stands.

The author discusses the merits of open source software and the counter-arguments of corporate interests, and concludes that Australia should be wary of extending its intellectual property law.

The St Vincent de Paul Society's recent paper, The Reality of Income Inequality in Australia, warns of Australia's 'current headlong dash into the chasm of inequality'. In his response Peter Saunders shows this claim is grossly exaggerated. The Vinnies' report argues that there has been 'a very significant shift to greater inequality' of disposable incomes...

The deep divide between the tiny elite minority in Papua New Guinea who enrich themselves at the expense of the vast majority of ordinary people will continue to grow with disastrous consequences unless the Australian government's new Enhanced Cooperation Programme (ECP) is fully restored and Australian police return to Papua New Guinea. Helen Hughes and...