Welfare Economic Issues in the New Classical Economic Framework of Inframarginal Analysis (renewal application). The CIs have developed a framework analysing the classical but largely ignored problems of division of labour. The 2001-2 project extends the framework to examine welfare issues and public policies, including government encouragement of infrastructure, organisational effects of externality-corrective taxes, work ethics and the optimal working week. The proposed extension to this res ....Welfare Economic Issues in the New Classical Economic Framework of Inframarginal Analysis (renewal application). The CIs have developed a framework analysing the classical but largely ignored problems of division of labour. The 2001-2 project extends the framework to examine welfare issues and public policies, including government encouragement of infrastructure, organisational effects of externality-corrective taxes, work ethics and the optimal working week. The proposed extension to this research will address the more fundamental issue of the Pareto optimality of general equilibrium in the new framework and extend the existing analyses to be of more practical relevance with more immediate policy implications.Read moreRead less
Improving decision making in government service delivery using third party providers. This project focuses on analysing and improving decision making in government service delivery through two complementary parts: examining the range of models/potential models used by government agencies through 3rd party providers; and investigating how specific relations are managed/improved in selected industries (childcare, ageing, disability services). Our approaches encompass policy process theories, contr ....Improving decision making in government service delivery using third party providers. This project focuses on analysing and improving decision making in government service delivery through two complementary parts: examining the range of models/potential models used by government agencies through 3rd party providers; and investigating how specific relations are managed/improved in selected industries (childcare, ageing, disability services). Our approaches encompass policy process theories, contractual management, alternative service delivery, citizen empowerment theories, new institutional economics, industry impact analysis, and new modes of accountability. Analytical methods include survey and statistical investigations, comparative historical methods, case studies, comparative research with Canadian and NZ experts.Read moreRead less
An Integrated Approach to the Timing of Retirement: Life Cycle, Labour Force Heterogeneity, Financial Status and Public Support. This project will generate new knowledge on household decision making over retirement timing. National benefits will be generated through improved institutional design and policy formulation, which in turn will promote a labour market conducive to increased mature-age participation. The project involves collaboration across several institutions and will contribute to t ....An Integrated Approach to the Timing of Retirement: Life Cycle, Labour Force Heterogeneity, Financial Status and Public Support. This project will generate new knowledge on household decision making over retirement timing. National benefits will be generated through improved institutional design and policy formulation, which in turn will promote a labour market conducive to increased mature-age participation. The project involves collaboration across several institutions and will contribute to the development of research expertise through the training of PhDs and research assistants, creating a critical threshold of integrated research into ageing. This will facilitate a world-class presence in this important domain, thus contributing directly to the National Research Priority of Ageing Well, Ageing Productively.Read moreRead less
Personal income tax reform in Australia - development of a model. This project will produce a personal income tax model that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. The main benefits of developing such a model include the increased legitimacy of the income tax system, with enhanced compliance outcomes and a reduction in tax avoidance and evasion. Further benefits include reduced tax administrative and compli ....Personal income tax reform in Australia - development of a model. This project will produce a personal income tax model that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. The main benefits of developing such a model include the increased legitimacy of the income tax system, with enhanced compliance outcomes and a reduction in tax avoidance and evasion. Further benefits include reduced tax administrative and compliance costs, increased work effort and a positive ongoing contribution to GDP.Read moreRead less
Towards systemic reform of the Australian personal income tax: developing a sustainable model for the future. The personal income tax (PIT) is a vital component of the Australian tax system, largely untouched by recent (primarily business and indirect) tax reform. It currently faces major problems. Solutions need to be found to a variety of defects relating to the tax base, tax rates and tax administration.
The project aims to explore alternative PIT models that can sustain the high revenue a ....Towards systemic reform of the Australian personal income tax: developing a sustainable model for the future. The personal income tax (PIT) is a vital component of the Australian tax system, largely untouched by recent (primarily business and indirect) tax reform. It currently faces major problems. Solutions need to be found to a variety of defects relating to the tax base, tax rates and tax administration.
The project aims to explore alternative PIT models that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. By testing these models against world best practice and taxpayer, tax practitioner and tax administrator resistance, the project aims to develop and deliver a model that can attract community support alongside the achievement of traditional tax policy goals.Read moreRead less
An Improved Framework for Analysing the Fiscal Implications of Population Ageing. The Commonwealth Government's 'National Strategy for an Ageing Australia' explicitly acknowledged the potential for intergenerational conflict in Australia as relatively fewer young people must provide for the consumption of a growing proportion of retired people. The Intergenerational Report (IGR) in 2002 was an important step in national planning to avoid such a conflict. The proposed project seeks to address maj ....An Improved Framework for Analysing the Fiscal Implications of Population Ageing. The Commonwealth Government's 'National Strategy for an Ageing Australia' explicitly acknowledged the potential for intergenerational conflict in Australia as relatively fewer young people must provide for the consumption of a growing proportion of retired people. The Intergenerational Report (IGR) in 2002 was an important step in national planning to avoid such a conflict. The proposed project seeks to address major shortcomings in the IGR and provide an improved framework for future IGRs. The project addresses two Priority Goals within the Designated National Research Priority 2. These are: 'Ageing well, ageing productively' and 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'.Read moreRead less
Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy. The policies with which this research is concerned are central in determining the well being of millions of Australians in both current and future generations. It is important that these policies be debated and formulated on the basis of the best possible conceptual framework and with the most reliable possible quantitative assessments of their effects. It is also important that the policies concerned be considered jointly rathe ....Taxation, family policy and pension reform in an uncertain economy. The policies with which this research is concerned are central in determining the well being of millions of Australians in both current and future generations. It is important that these policies be debated and formulated on the basis of the best possible conceptual framework and with the most reliable possible quantitative assessments of their effects. It is also important that the policies concerned be considered jointly rather than in isolation from each other. The work will therefore directly assist policy makers in this area. Since it will be at the leading edge of current research, it will also benefit Australia's standing in the international research community.Read moreRead less
How the allocation of children's time affects the stimulation of cognitive and non-cognitive development. In a 2008 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, more than seven percent of Australian children have fewer than 11 books in their family home, Australia ranks in the bottom third of OECD nations for infant mortality and 21st out of 27 for children eating meals with their parents. The Rudd Government is committed to a child-centred approach to family policy. In ....How the allocation of children's time affects the stimulation of cognitive and non-cognitive development. In a 2008 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, more than seven percent of Australian children have fewer than 11 books in their family home, Australia ranks in the bottom third of OECD nations for infant mortality and 21st out of 27 for children eating meals with their parents. The Rudd Government is committed to a child-centred approach to family policy. In this study we investigate the allocation of Australian children's time and its effect on their cognitive and non-cognitive development. Cognitive and non-cognitive development is crucial to the future wellbeing of a child and therefore to the wellbeing of the nation.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence on Income Support: Patterns, Causation and Implications for Australian Social Policy. This project examines the consequences of growing up in an income-support family. The first stage describes the relationship between parents' and children's income-support receipt to determine whether these children are more likely to access income-support programs themselves. Stage 2 identifies the causal mechanisms through which parental income-support receipt in ....Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence on Income Support: Patterns, Causation and Implications for Australian Social Policy. This project examines the consequences of growing up in an income-support family. The first stage describes the relationship between parents' and children's income-support receipt to determine whether these children are more likely to access income-support programs themselves. Stage 2 identifies the causal mechanisms through which parental income-support receipt influences children's outcomes. Identification of these transmission mechanisms is a necessary first step in formulating policies targeted towards breaking any cycle of welfare dependence. This project is innovative in its use of survey data merged to unique administrative data that link the income-support records of some 53,000 young Australians and their parents.
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The Role of the Family in Facilitating the Human Capital and Labour Market Investments of Young Australians. A nation's future lies in its young people, and society as a whole must take part in ensuring that today's youth acquire the skills, experience, and training necessary not only to cope, but to thrive. The proposed research will make a substantial step forward in understanding how families make decisions about supporting their young adult children and how those decisions are shaped by Aust ....The Role of the Family in Facilitating the Human Capital and Labour Market Investments of Young Australians. A nation's future lies in its young people, and society as a whole must take part in ensuring that today's youth acquire the skills, experience, and training necessary not only to cope, but to thrive. The proposed research will make a substantial step forward in understanding how families make decisions about supporting their young adult children and how those decisions are shaped by Australian social policy. The findings will inform social policy development by providing evidence on pressing issues such as the effects of rising house prices or weakening labour markets on young Australians' ability to invest in education.Read moreRead less