Prosper Australia is excited to announce leading international expert on tax law and policy Professor Miranda Stewart as speaker at the 124th Annual Henry George Commemorative Dinner. Miranda is Director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at Crawford School, Australian National University. RSVP & Tickets.
She poses the question: What makes a successful tax state?
Her talk will consider the history of the successful ‘tax state’, or taxing government, from Adam Smith to the current global era. It will examine Australia in particular as a successful ‘tax state’, including the role of land and property taxes as part of the suite of taxes for a fair, efficient and resilient economy into the future.
We meet again in the historic setting of the Burke and Wills room at the Royal Society of Victoria. The evening begins at 6pm, with food served from 6.15 and the lecture at 7.15. The event is licensed and drinks are pay-as-you-go. Tickets are $30 (includes dinner and lecture).
The EJ Craigie writing award for the year’s best Georgist piece will also be presented. Nominations for the award will be announced soon.
Miranda Stewart has more than 20 years experience at the leading edge of policy research, design and development. She joined ANU from the University of Melbourne, where she was a Director of Tax Studies. She has previously worked at New York University School of Law, in major Australian law firms advising business on tax law, and at the Australian Taxation Office advising on business tax law and policy, and has consulted to government on various tax and transfer policy issues. She has co-edited and co-authored a number of books including Not for Profits Law (2014), Sham Transactions (2013), and Death and Taxes (2012).
‘… the *year*s best …’
Are there any Australian government sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac of the United States?
Fannie and Freddie would buy mortgages from banks. This was a flow of mortgages off the banks balance sheets. Allowing them to make more loans or improve their reserve ratios. But, they are each in the private sector and traded on the stock exchange.
Loans re-sold by them were often government backed.
“The Company’s activities include providing market liquidity by securitizing mortgage loans originated by lenders in the primary mortgage market into Fannie Mae mortgage backed securities (Fannie Mae MBS) and purchasing mortgage loans and mortgage related securities in the secondary market for its mortgage portfolio. ”
Short Fannie Mae description under heading, Description:
http://www.google.com/finance?cid=12885
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_takeover_of_Fannie_Mae_and_Freddie_Mac
– See more at: http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/2015/08/20/is-this-the-great-crash-of-china/#comments
Eta – the short answer is “no.”
Albeit, our big four banks operate with an implied government guarantee, limiting competition. The presumption is that they are too big/important to fail. Therefore they are able to take on liabilities v cheaply – and so make a v good living lending on resi mortgages.
Unlike Aust banks, Mea and Mac’s securities had to be “marked to market” – however, we hold more private debt than the US, and have higher land values than they did pre 07 – when the time comes, we’re just as vulnerable to a severe economic downturn.