The CIS Event Experience

Restoring Excellence in Australian Education with Senator Jonathon Duniam

In this episode, Senator Jonathon Duniam, Shadow Federal Minister for Education, joins the Centre for Independent Studies to outline the Coalition’s approach to education reform.
In conversation with CIS Director of Education Glenn Fahey, Duniam sets out a vision for restoring excellence in Australian classrooms. He argues that despite record funding over the past two decades, student achievement has declined — with one in three Year 9 students below minimum literacy and numeracy standards. The solution, he suggests, lies not in more spending but in smarter investment: evidence-based teacher training, a simplified curriculum, and a renewed focus on classroom fundamentals.
Together, Duniam and Fahey explore some of the most pressing challenges in education:
How can Australia address falling results despite unprecedented funding?
What reforms are needed in teacher training and entry pathways to raise classroom quality?
Should the national curriculum return to basics and shed ideological overload?
How can policymakers tackle persistent gaps in boys’ education, civics knowledge, and discipline?
While candid about the system’s failings, Duniam also emphasises the importance of bipartisan cooperation. He signals a willingness to work with Education Minister Jason Clare to pursue reforms in the national interest — aspiring for better outcomes rather than accepting mediocrity.
This episode offers a timely and wide-ranging discussion on the future of Australian schooling, highlighting both the urgency of reform and the opportunities for constructive collaboration.

Housing Reform in NSW & New Zealand

In this episode, NSW Premier Chris Minns and New Zealand Housing Minister Chris Bishop hosted CIS Chief Economist Peter Tulip for a wide-ranging discussion on housing affordability and reform.
Together, the panel explored the challenges of housing policy, the role of politics and community attitudes, and what governments can do to make homes more accessible for the next generation. Premier Minns said Labor’s housing reforms had been shaped by international experience — particularly Auckland’s zoning changes that doubled infill housing, reduced rents by up to 35 per cent and encouraged younger people back into the city.
New Zealand Housing Minister Chris Bishop described his country’s experience with upzoning and national planning reforms, arguing that housing location should be guided by where people want to live and are willing to pay. 

India's Democracy Works - Just Not How The West Thinks

India maintains the world's largest democracy with 75 years of continuous constitutional rule - yet international democracy rankings place it alongside countries with military coups and authoritarian regimes. What's really going on?
Former CIS executive director Tom Switzer sits down with author Salvatore Babones as part of the launch of his new book "Dharma Democracy: How India Built the Third World's First Democracy." Babones explores the unique model that enabled India to succeed where many post-colonial nations failed, arguing that Hindu religious and social reform movements created a distinctive civil society structure that Western political scientists have largely overlooked.
The conversation examines why India's democracy rankings don't reflect its actual performance and addresses one of India's single biggest challenges: integrating its 200 million Muslim citizens better into the democratic mainstream.

Evidence vs Ideology: Why the Science of Learning Matters?

In this episode, British educator Dr Carl Hendrick and Australian policy advisor Dr Simon Breakspear join CIS's Glenn Fahey to unpack the rise of the ‘science of learning’ and its promise to transform Australian education.
Drawing from global research and classroom practice, the panel explores how cognitive science is reshaping how we think about effective teaching—challenging outdated methods and calling for a shift toward explicit instruction, knowledge-rich curricula, and better teacher preparation.
Together, they tackle key questions driving education reform:
Why has evidence-based teaching been so slow to take hold?
How can schools translate research into real-world practice?
What must change in teacher training to improve student outcomes?
With practical insights and policy expertise, this episode charts a path for embedding the science of learning at the heart of Australian schooling—and building an education system that serves all students, not just a lucky few.

On Time, On Budget: What Canada Gets Right on Nuclear?

In this episode, nuclear industry leader and Canadian trailblazer Tracy Primeau re-joins the CIS to share a compelling insider’s view of Canada’s nuclear energy success—and what Australia could learn from it.
In conversation with CIS Director of Energy Research Aidan Morrison, Primeau reflects on her 35-year career. As a member of the Nipissing First Nation, she offers a rare dual perspective: a deep technical understanding of nuclear power and a powerful voice for Indigenous participation in energy development.
Together, they explore key questions shaping Australia’s energy debate:
What’s behind Canada’s on-time, on-budget nuclear rollout?
How did Indigenous communities become partners in nuclear waste solutions?
Can Australia achieve clean, affordable energy without sacrificing reliability?
From the potential of small modular reactors to lessons in energy economics, workforce transition, and community trust, Primo delivers an inspiring case for nuclear as a clean, scalable solution for Australia’s energy future. A timely and deeply human conversation at the intersection of technology, policy, and culture.

Conservative Comeback: Why Ordinary Voters Are Turning Right?

In this episode, British historian and author Dr Simon Heffer returns to CIS for a provocative deep dive into the cultural and political currents reshaping the Western world.
In conversation with CIS Executive Director Tom Switzer, Heffer offers sharp insights into the global conservative backlash against identity politics, elite overreach, and the hollowing out of free speech across universities and public life.
Together, they tackle big questions confronting liberal democracies today:
Why is there growing pushback against the progressive orthodoxy in countries like the US, UK, and Australia?
What’s driving working-class voters back to the political right?
Can Western societies afford net-zero policies, open borders, and bloated welfare states all at once?
With trademark wit and historical depth, Heffer reflects on Britain’s cultural identity, the media’s role in stifling dissent, and how cancel culture threatens the very foundations of democratic societies. A timely conversation on the urgent need to defend liberal values from within.

Rethinking Nuclear: Lessons from Canada with Dr. Chris Keefer

In this episode, Dr Chris Keefer, emergency physician, founder of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, and host of the Decouple podcast, joins the Centre for Independent Studies for an insightful exploration of Canada’s nuclear success story.
In conversation with CIS Director of Energy Research Aidan Morrison, Keefer reflects on Canada’s bold energy choices—from phasing out coal and developing its own reactor design to reviving nuclear infrastructure for new industrial applications.
Together, they unpack key questions relevant to Australia's energy future:
Why did Canada pioneer its own reactor model, and how has it served the nation?
What political and economic factors enabled a nuclear resurgence in some regions but not others?
How can nuclear work alongside renewables to strengthen energy reliability?
With first-hand industry knowledge and global perspective, Keefer sheds light on the policies, public debates, and technical achievements that have shaped Canada's approach—and what lessons Australia might take forward.

Free Speech, Moral Clarity, and the Israel-Gaza Debate with Bret Stephens

In this episode, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens joins CIS executive director Tom Switzer to confront the most contentious narratives surrounding the Israel-Gaza war and the future of liberal democracy.
Drawing on his experience as a journalist and foreign policy analyst, Stephens reflects on the challenges of achieving lasting peace, the role of outside powers, and the difficult choices facing Israel and its neighbours.
They also explore how public debates on these issues reveal deeper tensions in Western societies—about free speech, moral clarity, and the ability to respond to complex global challenges with confidence and unity.

The Great Pushback: Has the West Had Enough of Progressivism?

In this episode, historian and Telegraph columnist Simon Heffer joins CIS Executive Director Tom Switzer to discuss the rising conservative momentum across democracies like the US, Italy, Germany, and Australia.
After years of dominance by progressive ideas on identity politics, diversity, and historical revisionism, political winds appear to be shifting. Voters in countries like New Zealand and Australia are rejecting policies rooted in identity politics, while centre-right and populist movements grow stronger across Europe.
Heffer examines whether we’ve passed "peak woke," how cultural guilt and censorship threaten democratic debate, and what lessons Australia can learn from Britain’s recent political experience. He argues that restoring free speech, rejecting identity politics, and embracing shared democratic values are key to the West’s future.
What’s driving the backlash against progressive politics in the West? Is the cultural tide turning? Is this the beginning of a cultural and political renewal?
 

Profit or Politics? Inside Australia’s Corporate Culture War

In this episode, CIS executive director Tom Switzer sits down with researchers Simon Cowan and Emilie Dye to explore the rising backlash against corporate social activism in Australia.
Drawing on findings from their new report Business Means Business, Cowan and Dye reveal what Australians really think about ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives. Their exclusive polling shows that most consumers, employees, and even younger Australians want companies to focus on service and profit—not politics. From corporate support of The Voice referendum to Australia Day controversies, they highlight how big brands risk alienating the public and undermining trust.
With global case studies like Bud Light and Chick-fil-A, this conversation questions whether “woke capitalism” is sustainable and exposes consequences of value-driven branding and political posturing. A sharp, evidence-based critique of business orthodoxy—and a timely call for corporate neutrality.