The Latest at McKell — March 2024

Collaborating with our colleagues from Washington DC; an address from the Victorian Premier; a celebration of our new branch in South Australia; new work on ending transport disadvantage; a push for a Social Housing Surge; and more. Here’s the Latest at the McKell Institute.

Our NSW budget submission called for a $5bn social housing surge

NSW is facing a housing crisis. And it demands a scale of social housing investment we haven’t seen since the post war period. That was the message of our NSW budget submission, co-authored with The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, covered by the Daily Telegraph.

See more in 7 News Sydney.

 

We argued why social housing matters in the Daily Telegraph

McKell CEO Ed Cavanough joined St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO Yolanda Saiz in the pages of the Daily Telegraph, outlining why social housing is so important for all of us.

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In Victoria, we were joined by Premier Jacinta Allan

McKell convened an audience at the Victorian Parliament to hear from Premier Jacinta Allan, who outlined her government’s vision for the year ahead.

 

 

And had a debate over super-for-housing in front of the Senate

Victorian Executive Director Rebecca Thistleton testified to the Senate, sharing McKell Institute research into super-for-housing.

McKell is opposed to super-for-housing because it won’t make a material difference to individual’s ability to purchase a house — only accelerating purchases for some who would already be likely to buy.

Super-for-housing also inflates prices, while harming retirement incomes. That’s why we argued strongly in front of the Senate against the proposal.

We took our American colleagues from the Progressive Policy Institute on the road

Our colleagues from US think tank, Progressive Policy Institute, came with our team on the road to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to release PPI’s new research into encryption policy.

McKell and PPI are both working to advance policy ideas that improve the lives of working people. This collaboration is the latest in the two organisation’s long collaborative relationship.

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PPI’s Colin Mortimer & Joel Gladwin in Sydney.

 

Ahead of the Tasmanian election, we pushed for a better deal for transport workers

Before Tasmanians headed to the polls, McKell worked to highlight the dire state of Hobart’s public transport network. With poorer services and connectivity than other cities, Hobart residents without cars struggle to get by. McKell’s work became central to the major party debate on public transport in Tasmania.

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We launched a new branch of McKell — with the South Australian Premier

In SA, we were joined the SA Premier Peter Malinauskas to officially launch McKell’s latest branch, McKell Institute SA/NT.

The Premier spoke about the role public policy institutes like McKell can play in shaping the debate in SA.

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Premier Peter Malinauskas at the launch of the McKell Institute SA/NT.

 

We debated ACCI about industrial relations policy at the Sydney Institute

Ed Cavanough joined The Sydney Institute to debate ACCI’s Jessica Tinsley about the Albanese Government’s industrial relations agenda, where he outlined a higher road towards a more productive economy.

 

And joined the ANU’s Rory Medcalf to chat about Australia’s Pacific relationship

And sat down with the ANU’s Rory Medcalf to discuss his new book, Divided Isles, which will be released internationally on April 9 via Manchester University Press.

Get involved

In addition to the McKell Institute’s public events, we also host a series of exclusive events for McKell Institute supporters.

To learn more about how your organisation can get involved, contact mckell@mckellinstitute.org.au.

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