Here you'll find some shorter pieces with our thoughts and reflections on current affairs, policy debates, and how to make Australia a fairer place.
Insights
May 29, 2026

Where Next After the Budget?
By Lucas Lewit-Mendes and Dr Wesa Chau What’s next after the budget This month’s federal budget included three major tax changes – cutting back tax concessions for negative gearing, capital gains tax, and trust distributions. Some of this revenue will be returned with a $250 tax offset for working Australians, providing a much-needed boost ... Read more
Insights
April 2, 2026

Talent We Already Have: Unlocking Productivity Through Migration
By Dr Wesa Chau, Executive Director Yesterday I listened to Violet Roumeliotis AM and Dr Martin Parkinson speak at the National Press Club about skills shortages, productivity, and the persistent underutilisation of migrant skills in Australia. Their discussion highlights a fundamental contradiction in Australia’s labour market: at a time of acute workforce shortages and slowing ... Read more
Insights
March 2, 2026
New Zealand shows austerity and interest rate hikes won’t cure Australia’s sticky inflation
By Osmond Chiu, Research Fellow The recent interest rate hike to address inflation drifting above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) target band has reignited debate about the Albanese Government’s economic management. Critics argue excessive government spending and the RBA’s initially slow response are to blame for rising prices and slower economic growth, despite the ... Read more
Insights
February 16, 2026
Moltbook and the Moment We Let AI Act on People
Moltbook is being treated as a novelty. A curious, Reddit-like forum where AI agents post about their users, trade productivity advice, and banter with one another in ways that feel playful, even endearing. Much of the public reaction has framed it as harmless fun, a glimpse of quirky machine behaviour rather than a serious development. ... Read more
Insights
February 16, 2026
If facts don’t change minds, how should think tanks think?
By Meredith Eldridge, Director of Operations at Per Capita We humans like to think that we are rational beings who make up our minds based on facts. Unfortunately for us, it is well-established that the vast majority of the time, people’s decisions are actually driven by emotion and subconscious mental shortcuts (see the work of ... Read more
Equitable Housing
February 9, 2026
Inclusionary Zoning: Four principles for a targeted, consistent, and balanced policy
By Dr Kate Raynor and Lucas Lewit-Mendes The Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025 passed both houses of parliament last week. The amendment will streamline building approvals, including allowing low-risk building permits to be processed faster. Changes also include a provision that enables councils and state government to make the use or development ... Read more
Insights
January 19, 2026
The Way In: Representation in our Parliament – Wesa Chau
By Dr Wesa Chau, Executive Director “Everyone gets a fair go” is one of Australia’s most cherished values. We often pride ourselves on being a country where diversity is a strength and where anyone — with enough passion, hard work and persistence — can rise to leadership. But The Way In, Per Capita’s latest analysis ... Read more
Insights
January 14, 2026
Reforming the Capital Gains Tax Discount
Why reducing the 50 per cent discount would improve the tax system By Lucas Lewit-Mendes Capital gains tax (CGT) was introduced in 1985 as part of reforms to broaden the income tax base and reduce the rate. CGT is leviable on the increase in the value of an asset, such as property or shares, and ... Read more