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The Centre for Independent Studies is the leading independent public policy 'think tank' within Australasia. The CIS is actively engaged in support of a free enterprise economy and a free society under limited government where individuals can prosper and fully develop their talents. By critical recommendations to public policy and encouraging debate amongst leading academics, politicians and journalists, the CIS aims to build a better society.
In April 1976, Greg Lindsay the founder of The Centre for Independent Studies, wrote to Professor Lauchlan Chipman of Wollongong University regarding his plans to form a centre to 'promote the study of liberty'. Months later Chipman delivered the Centre's inaugural seminar Liberty, Justice and the Market, and the CIS was up and running. Since then, the Centre has produced valuable research work which has shaped and influenced public policy. We are proud to be associated with some of the greatest leaders in business and academia as visiting lecturers or as CIS members, staff and Board of Directors. This section contains information on CIS membership, staff and other information.
is Australasia's leading public policy research institute. Founded in Sydney in 1976 by Executive Director Greg Lindsay, its major concern is with the principles and conditions underlying a free and open society, with particular focus on Australia and New Zealand. The Centres activities cover a wide variety of areas dealing broadly with social and economic policy. It emphasises the role of the free market in an open society and other voluntary processes in providing many of the goods and services normally supplied by the compulsory methods of government. The Centre prides itself on being independent and non-partisan in its funding and research. Individual liberty and choice, including freedom of association, religion, speech and the right to property
An economy based on free markets
Democratic government under the rule of law
An autonomous and free civil society CIS is funded by private sector donations-from individuals, companies and charitable trusts-as well as subscriptions and books sales 'Independent' in our name means:
we are politically non-partisan
our research is not directed by our supporters For more information on membership and donations, please visit our membership page.
Since 1976, the CIS has conducted research into economics, social policy, law, government, environment, and foreign affairs. CIS research benefits from academics world wide and its reform recommendations regularly appear in the media and are discussed by academics and politicians. The Social Foundations public policy programme researches social change reforms in five major areas: family, education, community life, welfare and values. The now completed Taking Children Seriously research programme continues to be a valuable resource into the well-being of children and the importance of family in our society. Liberalising Learning presents positive reform ideas for our higher education system and the newly launched Economic Freedom Watch programme monitors how key institutions shape economic freedom in Australia. Foreign policy research extends to the Pacific, Asia and the US.
The John Bonython Lecture is the Centres annual gala event, bringing the forefront of international intellectual opinion to Australia.
The annual Acton Lecture on Religion and Freedom, begun as the premier lecture of the Religion and the Free Society research programme, examined the contribution of religion to free societies. The CIS Lectures and Bert Kelly Lectures are held in capital cities around Australia and aim to foster accessible public debate on economic and social policy issues, while the annual Consilium brings together leading policy makers and thinkers for a weekend of discussion.
Publishing is a central part of the Centres activities and currently we have over 150 publications in print. CIS Policy Monographs (PMs) and Occasional Papers (OPs), and are used by members of the media, policy analysts, academics, students, opinion makers and the general public. PMs are produced as a result of extensive research and analysis. Smaller, publications, OPs are often generated from lectures and seminars. The Issue Analysis series provides timely briefing papers on public policy issues to the media and those involved in policy formation. The Centres quarterly journal Policy has been published since 1985 and is a widely recognised reference for public policy formulation.
In 1996 the CIS began a programme of weekend seminars designed to challenge the brightest young minds in Australia and New Zealand. The purpose is to bring together a group of undergraduates and recent graduates to discuss the intellectual basis and practical aspects of a free society. By targeting directly the opinion-makers and policy-formers of tomorrow, the Centre will help shape economic and social thinking in Australia and New Zealand. The Centre can be found at Lvl 4, 38 Oxley St
St Leonards, NSW
Australia 2065 Please send mail to PO Box 92
St Leonards, NSW
Australia 1590 PO Box 5529
Lambton Quay
New Zealand 3785 Telephone ph: (+61) (2) 9438 4377
fax: (+61) (2) 9439 7310 ph: (+64) (4) 499 5861
fax: (+64) (4) 499 5940 Email cis@cis.org.au Press releases nmroz@cis.org.au Membership cspring@cis.org.au Concerning this website webmaster@cis.org.au All material is copyright of The Centre for Independent Studies, 2002. Please contact the Centre (cis@cis.org.au) for permission to reprint.
The Centre for Independent Studies has released a paper calling for reform of university student fees system. The paper, authored by Andrew Norton, argues that the cap on loans to full fee paying students is too low. The current cap allows for loans during a lifetime of AU$50,950.

"Setting the FEE-HELP limit at this amount biases the market against courses that are long or have high per year costs, or both," argues Norton in the paper. "The loan cap is a crude way of controlling lending, taking no account of course costs or capacity to repay."

According to Norton, this undermines student choice and competition. He argues that the system should function more like commercial lending.

"A truly radical reform would make student loans mimic commercial loans: students with good earning prospects could borrow large sums, other students could borrow less, and some could not borrow at all," he said. "Instead of denying or limiting loans to people doing high cost courses, as now occurs, the government could deny loans to people who are unlikely to repay."

The paper was criticised by Senator Kerry Nettle, Education Spokesperson for the Australian Greens. She argued that the changes would mean an increase in costs to students already struggling to pay, and called on Education Minister Julie Bishop to rule out the changes.

"To consider refusing loans to those deemed less able to repay would further cut off higher education for Australians from low socio-economic backgrounds," she said. "Julie Bishop should use her address to the National Press Club tomorrow to rule out any moves to further deregulate the HECS system."

"Student fees have spiralled upward under the Howard government and any further deregulation would just make a bad system worse," she added.