Cis Podcast

The criticisms and characterization of the 50% capital gains tax discount over many years have been full of misunderstandings, myths and distortions in the conventional narrative on how capital gains tax works, how it compares with the capital gains tax that it replaced in 1999, and the economic consequences of making the capital gains tax burden heavier. The myths and distortions are biasing the public discussion towards increased taxation.

Read the paper at www.cis.org.au  Executive Summary. This paper is an expanded version of a submission to the Senate Select Committee on the Operation of the Capital Gains Tax Discount. The author gave evidence to the Committee at a hearing on 25 February, 2026. Although there is much public discussion of the capital gains tax discount, there is no proposal from government on the table for us to respond to — only rumours and speculation — so our comments are broad-ranging and not confined to housing. As well as the submission, there have been three relevant research publications on CGT issued by the CIS in 2009, 2015 and 2019. Perusal of those publications will show that we do not think much of proposals to reduce the CGT discount. If three publications looks like an obsession, we have had a lot to say on the issue because calls for the discount to be cut or eliminated have been a persistent theme of tax policy debate ever since the defeat of the Howard government, which put the 50% discount in place in 1999.

Immigration and housing affordability have become politically inseparable in contemporary Australia. With rents high, home ownership increasingly out of reach, and housing supply persistently undershooting official targets, it is tempting to conclude that fewer migrants would mean lower prices. That argument has intuitive appeal. More people require more homes. In tightly-constrained markets, additional demand pushes up rents and prices. But intuition is not policy. The evidence suggests a more nuanced reality: migration increases housing demand, yet whether that demand translates into sustained price pressure depends fundamentally on the responsiveness of supply. Where planning systems restrict land use, delay approvals, and cap density, even modest demand shocks quickly become price shocks. Where supply is flexible and institutions allow building to respond, the long-term affordability effects are far smaller — and can even be offset by stronger economic and housing growth. This paper argues that Australia’

Join us on Liberalism in Question for an enlightening discussion with Dr. Jennifer Buckingham, former Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies and a leading voice in Australian education policy.  From critiquing barriers in public schooling to advocating for phonics-based reading instruction and greater parental choice, this episode examines the role of liberalism in fostering equitable opportunities and innovation in Australian education. 

In this thought-provoking episode of Liberalism in Question, we delve into the rich tapestry of Australia's liberal history with esteemed guest Dr Greg Melleuish, Associate Professor of History and Politics at the University of Wollongong. Explore how liberalism shaped Australia's political landscape, influenced key figures like Alfred Deakin and Robert Menzies, and continues to inform contemporary debates on freedom, modernity, and national identity.

In this thought-provoking episode of Liberalism in Question, we welcome Emma Dawson, Executive Director of the progressive think tank Per Capita (and formerly of the Chifley Research Centre), to offer a contrasting social democratic perspective. Challenging classical liberal skepticism toward government overreach, Dawson argues that the state can—and should—play a constructive, helpful role in addressing inequality and building shared prosperity.

Join us on Liberalism in Question as Senator Kerrynne Liddle shares her insights on why one-size-fits-all policies fall short in a diverse nation like Australia. Liddle critiques excessive bureaucracy, advocating for greater personal and community responsibility to drive real progress and prosperity.  This episode challenges conventional thinking on Indigenous affairs and explores how classical liberal principles can foster genuine equality and self-reliance. 

Get your tickets to see Alexander Downer in Sydney: https://events.humanitix.com/alexander-downer-leadership-between-allies-and-the-region  In this episode of Liberalism in Question, former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer joins us to dissect the ever-shifting landscape of political ideologies. From the rise of Trump's nationalist movement and its global ripple effects, to the enduring appeal of economic liberalism as a pathway to prosperity, Downer offers sharp insights into why ideologies evolve like fashion trends—and what it means for our future.

In the second half of the twentieth century, Australia’s cheap, reliable electricity attracted heavy industry to our shores. By 1990, power-hungry copper, aluminium, lead, manganese and zinc smelters had popped up in each of the eastern states that would one day form the National Electricity Market (NEM). As Matthew Warren, former chief executive of the Australian Energy Council, the Energy Supply Association of Australia and the Clean Energy Council, describes the Australian grid: In 2000, the coal and gas used were abundant and cheap, and the hydro was provided by rainfall. It was by international standards, about as cheap and reliable an electricity system as you could build. Its brutal simplicity, reliability and low cost had attracted global industries including aluminium and other processors. These were ‘the good old days’ of cheap and reliable electricity in Australia. But trouble has been brewing in Australia’s smelting paradise over the last two decades, as rising energy prices, carbon charges and fo

In this episode of Liberalism in Question, we dive deep into the complex and often overlooked history of liberalism in the Middle East with renowned expert Joshua Landis. As a professor of Middle East history at the University of Oklahoma and director of the Center for Middle East Studies, Landis brings decades of insight from his work on Syria, sectarianism, and regional politics. Join us as we explore the challenges posed by secular and religious  authoritarianism and modern conflicts in countries like Egypt, Syria, and Israel.

From Donald Trump to the lockdowns, Dave Rubin sits down with Robert Forsyth to discuss classical liberalism in the American context. 

Senator James Paterson joins Liberalism in Question to discuss the core principles of classical liberalism — individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and the rule of law — and how they apply to Australia’s current political debates. The conversation explores where liberalism is being challenged, misunderstood, or defended, and what its future looks like in a changing political landscape.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/NVFhjvDxGX4 From surrogacy to free speech, Rob Forsyth and Gray Connolly discuss the differences between classical liberalism and conservatism in the Australian context. 

Shortly before 7pm on Sunday, a Hanukah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach was attacked by two alleged gunmen, believed to be a father and son. At the time of recording, 16 people aged between 10 and 87 are confirmed dead, including one of the alleged attackers, and at least 42 others are being treated in hospital for their injuries. In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions, Michael Stutchbury talks with Peter Kurti about the tragedy at Bondi, the politicial leadership failures and rising antisemitism in Australia. 

In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions: Michael Stutchbury examines Senator Andrew Bragg’s provocative event at CIS on the future of housing policy — a speech that openly challenged the Liberal Party’s long-standing comfort with rising house prices and called for an unapologetic YIMBY agenda to win back younger voters. 

In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions: Are the Liberals sabotaging their path back to government by walking away from net zero? Or are they facing reality about Australia’s costly clean-energy transition? In this episode, we dissect whether the Coalition’s internal divisions on climate and energy policy are overshadowing Labor’s failure to retain Australia’s traditional cheap energy advantage. Net-zero targets remain popular in the urban seats the Liberals must win back, so why pick this fight now?

Watch here: https://youtu.be/ybqWLEwL28Y  From economic reform and rising government spending to cultural shifts and the decline of liberalism, Costello reflects on the ideas that shaped the Howard years and what’s needed to renew them today.

Is the 2020s an echo of the 1970s for classical liberalism? In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions, Michael Stutchbury recaps the CIS Consilium, exploring how free enterprise, free trade, and limited government are under assault from both the left and the populist right. Featuring insights from Andrew Neil on the plight of mainstream conservatism and Dave Rubin on the liberal side of MAGA, Stutchbury discusses globalization, immigration, tariffs, big government deficits, and the future of western liberal values amid rising populism.

Subscribe to The Stutchbury Sessions on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM or listen in your browser.   Where is the line between risk and regulation? In this episode of The Stutchbury Sessions, Fred Roeder from the Consumer Choice Center dives into how consumers should stand against overregulation and embrace technological innovation for a more prosperous and free future. Michael Stutchbury and Fred Roeder discuss everything from ride sharing platforms to life and death medical innovations.  The Consumer Choice Center is an independent, non-partisan consumer advocacy group championing the benefits of freedom of choice, innovation, and abundance in everyday life.  Watch this content here: https://youtu.be/_2XkdpUSHGg