Progressive Essays

The current Australian trade crisis has many causes. Therefore, any solution will require a number of elements.

But the first thing is to acknowledge just how bad our trade performance has been. There is no way anyone can find a solution until they acknowledge the need for one.

Craig Emerson has contributed this Progressive Essay, which examines broad concepts of how the Labor Party can position itself to improve the lives of Australians.

In this Progressive Essay, Bob McMullan and Dave Peebles examine the "Responsibility to Protect" principles in the light of Australia's experience in the Solomon Islands.

Writing for the Progressive Essay series, Bob McMullan examines the need for an Indigenous representative body to hold government to account, and suggests a number of ways in which such a representative body could be improved.

In the latest Progressive Essay, Andrew Leigh argues that those who advocate lowering top tax rates are out of step with the views of most Australians. Contrary to figures that are often reported, the income of the average Australian is merely $26,000 per year, which is near the bottom of the 30 percent tax bracket.

Leigh suggests simplifying our tax filing system by allowing most people the option of not filing a return. He also argues for reducing effective marginal tax rates at the bottom, where the rates are highest, and the problem of joblessness most acute.

Major political parties exist to form governments. Minor political parties exist to gain enough votes to influence the policies of the government of the day but not enough to form a government in their own right.

In the recent past Labor has been at risk of making an unwanted transition from a major political party to a minor one. Any Australian political party that fails consistently to attract 40 per cent of first preference votes must struggle to qualify as a mainstream political force.

The citizen is at the heart of a properly functioning democracy. In this Progressive Essay, Carmen Lawrence examines democratic participation by Australian citizens, and puts forward a case for strengthening their role.

Greg Combet was the guest speaker at the first Progressive Essays Dinner. In his speech he speaks about the injustice of the industrial relations changes, and how they fail to address the real issues for the Australian economy.

Bob McMullan says that Australia can learn some important public policy lessons from developments in the debate about global poverty.