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.

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/

👉 Further reading:

Why Jaydon Can’t Read: A Forum on Fixing Literacy: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/why-jaydon-cant-read-a-forum-on-fixing-literacy/

Knowledge is power: What do teachers believe about learning?: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/knowledge-is-power-what-do-teachers-believe-about-learning/

Childcare in Australia: A new approach: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/childcare-in-australia-a-new-approach/

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.

👉Further Reading:

A Short History of Australian Liberalism: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/a-short-history-of-australian-liberalism/

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/

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.

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/

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.

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/

👉 Further reading:

Liberalism’s Universal Vision Better Than a Race-Based Voice: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/liberalisms-universal-vision-better-than-a-race-based-voice/

The Road Ahead for Indigenous Policy: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/where-to-now-the-road-ahead-for-indigenous-policy/

Joining the Real Economy: mapping the economic potential of remote Indigenous communities: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/joining-the-real-economy-mapping-the-economic-potential-of-remote-indigenous-communities/

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.

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/

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 foreign competition have taken their toll. These forces have eroded the comparative advantage Australia once enjoyed, shuttering existing industries and dissuading investors from building new ones. Government promises of a ‘renewable energy superpower’ Future Made in Australia built on intermittent renewables, batteries and hydrogen are looking increasingly implausible. Read the paper here: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/future-no-longer-made-in-australia-how-we-lost-our-low-cost-electricity-advantage/

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.

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/

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

👉 Support CIS Research: 🔹 Become a member: https://www.cis.org.au/membership-2-step-1/ 🔹 Make a donation: https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ 🔹 Learn more: https://www.cis.org.au/