Latest News & Commentary
Fishing for a free ride in Macquarie Harbour
In April last year, the High Court of Australia affirmed the right of a West Tasmanian council to levy rates on the seabed within its municipal boundaries. This precedent means, in a legal sense, land is land, even underwater. It has implications for industrial...
The economics of empty homes
by Dr Cameron Murray reposted from macrobusiness Prosper Australia has for years been conducting research into how many of Australia’s 9.8 million homes are left vacant. Their major finding is that of the 1.7 million homes in greater Melbourne alone, around 82,000 are...
Corruption and Property Laundering
Nelson Yap at the Australian Property Journal writes: SECRET companies are allowing illicit and corrupt money to flood into Sydney and Australia’s real estate market. Transparency International’s new report Doors Wide Open: Corruption and Real Estate in Key Markets...
Horror 1400 per cent land tax hike shock
The Cohen family, holders of The Block Arcade in Collins Street Melbourne, must meet a massive rise in State Land Tax after the Valuer-General’s biennial land revaluation. Their 2017 tax bill is $450,000, up from $30,000 last year. According to the AFR, the Cohens...
Oz lottery: Win $85 billion in Stamp Duty reform
Peter Martin, Australia’s clearest economic writer, has turned his icy gaze to Stamp Duty. This vile tax causes real harm to all of us and begs to be struck from the statute books. Yes, it is a state tax. Yes, the feds can push reform along and add $85.5 billion to...
Renegade Economists Investigate
Our now monthly radio show on 3CR, on the fourth Wednesday @ 6pm. The show has some big names lined up over the next few weeks - can you guess who by the flavour of recent episodes? Remember you can listen five ways: Sign up to mixcloud to have the show delivered to...
“Poverty is the mother of crime”
What did Marcus Aurelius mean when he said “Poverty is the mother of crime”? Surely he wasn’t trying to justify crime? The vast majority of poor people keep on ‘the straight and narrow’ without turning to crime? No, he wasn’t justifying crime; he was simply being...
Australia’s democracy destroyed – for thirty pieces of silver
Matthew Stevens, the AFR’s kindly mouthpiece for big miners, is today promoting a range of very bad ideas that suit his, ahem, audience. The article is paywalled from sheer embarrassment. He lauds the political destruction of WA Nationals’ leader Bernard Grylls for...
Who will fight Oil & Gas in Australia’s national interest? The boxing ring is right here…
Craig Emerson, principal architect of Australia's Petroleum Resource Rent Tax, is out in the AFR today fighting for good taxes and sound economics. For thirty years, the PRRT had been a successful revenue-sharing device, delivering well over $33 billion to...
Prosper SBS News
Prosper Australia President Catherine Cashmore had a busy week. First, Catherine was interviewed by Raph Epstein for ABC FM Drivetime. Then Catherine was asked to appear on SBS News Saturday night in Vacant Homes in Sydney draws Attention of UN. Channel 9 news also...
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