Boosting productivity in service industries such as education and health will be central to shoring up Australia’s future prosperity. In a major, five-yearly report, the Productivity Commission offers a long list of recommendations to get sluggish productivity growth moving. This includes a future-income-based university funding model and phasing out fuel taxes in favour of a…

The Australian government’s proposed bill comprising amendments to migration laws has passed the House of Representatives with the assistance of the Labor party. However, the opposition signalled that it would look for ways to modify the bill when the legislation reached the Senate. Under the changes pushed by the federal government, the immigration minister will…

The Australian government is in the process of reintroducing a piece of legislation that enhances the powers of the immigration minister in cancelling visas and deporting non-citizen criminals. An amendment to existing migration laws supposed to “strengthen the character test” permits the federal government to terminate the visas of individuals who are guilty of a…