Catching capital: Understanding and influencing corporate tax strategy. This project aims to analyse the factors which influence the tax strategies of large multi-national corporations, and explain variations in behaviour between firms and industry sectors. Identifying reforms that exert the greatest influence over corporate behaviour will enable reforms which refine and improve the efficacy of international tax regimes. The expected outcomes will provide an evidence base for policy makers to ev ....Catching capital: Understanding and influencing corporate tax strategy. This project aims to analyse the factors which influence the tax strategies of large multi-national corporations, and explain variations in behaviour between firms and industry sectors. Identifying reforms that exert the greatest influence over corporate behaviour will enable reforms which refine and improve the efficacy of international tax regimes. The expected outcomes will provide an evidence base for policy makers to evaluate and refine corporate tax reform initiatives.Read moreRead less
Labour Force Challenges in the Building and Construction Industry: Skills Infrastructure and Migrant Workers. The project examines the sustainability of present labour supply arrangements in the building and construction industry in the context of restructuring and reorientation of the major construction companies and the intensification of pyramid sub-contracting arrangements. This will highlight the challenges engendered by the changing pattern of training and skill accreditation, sourcing an ....Labour Force Challenges in the Building and Construction Industry: Skills Infrastructure and Migrant Workers. The project examines the sustainability of present labour supply arrangements in the building and construction industry in the context of restructuring and reorientation of the major construction companies and the intensification of pyramid sub-contracting arrangements. This will highlight the challenges engendered by the changing pattern of training and skill accreditation, sourcing and recruitment arrangements, and industry resort to immigrant and short-term and clandestine migrant workers. The analysis of labour supply arrangements will inform a better assessment of the capacity of the industry to improve construction standards and promote technological advances, and thereby contribute to charting a new strategic vision.Read moreRead less
Scaling-up the impact of voluntary sustainability standards. How can global sustainability regulators, such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance, more effectively tackle large-scale regulatory problems of deforestation, land use conflict and recurring labour rights violations? This project will address this question by analysing and evaluating innovative regulatory schemes that were designed to have broad, sector- or jurisdiction-wide impacts on critical social and environmental problems in S ....Scaling-up the impact of voluntary sustainability standards. How can global sustainability regulators, such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance, more effectively tackle large-scale regulatory problems of deforestation, land use conflict and recurring labour rights violations? This project will address this question by analysing and evaluating innovative regulatory schemes that were designed to have broad, sector- or jurisdiction-wide impacts on critical social and environmental problems in South-East Asia and Latin America. A new framework will be developed to strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of sustainability regulation - benefiting workers, businesses and the environment and enabling the Australian public to participate in more sustainable systems of production and consumption.Read moreRead less
Interdependence, transnational institutions and the governance of international taxation in the 21st Century. The global financial crisis is placing national tax systems under unprecedented competitive pressures. In such an environment the need for international tax cooperation has never been greater. Using comparative analysis this project will seek to establish which transnational institutions and governance systems best support international tax cooperation. By doing so it will enhance both t ....Interdependence, transnational institutions and the governance of international taxation in the 21st Century. The global financial crisis is placing national tax systems under unprecedented competitive pressures. In such an environment the need for international tax cooperation has never been greater. Using comparative analysis this project will seek to establish which transnational institutions and governance systems best support international tax cooperation. By doing so it will enhance both the ability of state and non-state actors to develop and refine strategies for participating in such systems and the prospects for achieving cooperation in this critical aspect of world affairs.Read moreRead less
Governing harmful commodities: the case of ultra-processed foods. This project aims to generate new knowledge on how to influence public policy in order to reduce the supply and consumption of a health-harming commodity, ultra-processed foods. Using governance theory and qualitative techniques the project intends to identify the actors who are influential in the three key policy areas of trade, taxation and marketing and who affect the consumption of these foods in Australia, Thailand and Fiji. ....Governing harmful commodities: the case of ultra-processed foods. This project aims to generate new knowledge on how to influence public policy in order to reduce the supply and consumption of a health-harming commodity, ultra-processed foods. Using governance theory and qualitative techniques the project intends to identify the actors who are influential in the three key policy areas of trade, taxation and marketing and who affect the consumption of these foods in Australia, Thailand and Fiji. Expected outcomes include strategies for pursuing these different actors’ interests and evidence that can help institutions to promote better policies. Intended benefits include better nutrition outcomes in Australia, Thailand and Fiji.Read moreRead less
State-owned enterprises and the government in China: who drives? China's large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are investing extensively overseas, and particularly in Australia. This project examines how and to what extent the Chinese government exercises political control over these SOEs. It seeks to determine whether they are ultimately controlled by the Communist Party or semi-independent market privateers.
Measuring the triple bottom line: an investigation of social, environmental and economic outcomes in the South Australian electricity market. The project will investigate the social, economic and environmental performance of the South Australian electricity market. It will track the impact of the implementation of full retail contestability in the SA electricity market. It will provide a suite of measurement tools for consumer groups to analyse market outcomes.
Political party financing and democratic consolidation in Indonesia. As Australia's vast neighbour to the north, Indonesia, is of critical importance to Australian national interests. Particularly essential in this regard is the stability of Indonesia's young democracy, which is increasingly threatened by the widespread perception that party politics are contaminated by corrupt, greedy and self-centred politicians. This sentiment is largely fuelled by complaints about questionable fundraising pr ....Political party financing and democratic consolidation in Indonesia. As Australia's vast neighbour to the north, Indonesia, is of critical importance to Australian national interests. Particularly essential in this regard is the stability of Indonesia's young democracy, which is increasingly threatened by the widespread perception that party politics are contaminated by corrupt, greedy and self-centred politicians. This sentiment is largely fuelled by complaints about questionable fundraising practices of political parties. Accordingly, this study will be of great interest to Australian policy-makers, aid officials and businesses that wish to address the deficiencies in Indonesia's political system through political and economic cooperation programs.Read moreRead less
Democratic Leadership: How democracy shapes, constrains and empowers its leaders. A more profound understanding of the authority conferred, and limits imposed, by democracies on their leaders allows us to recognize what is, and is not, possible in democratic politics. It encourages a more subtle appreciation of the onerous demands of leadership, negotiating the extremes of idealism and cynical pragmatism that so often undermine confidence in politics and politicians. It gives greater insight int ....Democratic Leadership: How democracy shapes, constrains and empowers its leaders. A more profound understanding of the authority conferred, and limits imposed, by democracies on their leaders allows us to recognize what is, and is not, possible in democratic politics. It encourages a more subtle appreciation of the onerous demands of leadership, negotiating the extremes of idealism and cynical pragmatism that so often undermine confidence in politics and politicians. It gives greater insight into how democratic institutions and practices can be sustained and improved upon, both domestically, and internationally. Australia's commitment to democratisation in the region makes even more pressing the question of the type of leadership necessary in transitional states.Read moreRead less
Communication Across Difference in a Democracy: Australian Muslims and the Mainstream. The relationship between Islam and democracy is of central importance to Australia. In light of the possibility of radical Islamist recruitment within such communities, it is vital to establish the place of these communities in relation to other groups in the context of a liberal democratic society. The debate on the compatibility of Islamic and western values has been very prominent. Our focus on the attitude ....Communication Across Difference in a Democracy: Australian Muslims and the Mainstream. The relationship between Islam and democracy is of central importance to Australia. In light of the possibility of radical Islamist recruitment within such communities, it is vital to establish the place of these communities in relation to other groups in the context of a liberal democratic society. The debate on the compatibility of Islamic and western values has been very prominent. Our focus on the attitudes of Australian Muslims and how they perceive themselves in relation to western values (and how the mainstream perceives Muslims) has implications for policy and social learning across Islamic and non-Islamic communities, and so more productive social and political relationships.Read moreRead less