Premier Daniel Andrews announced a range of housing affordability measures Sunday, some of which will help. The eye-opener is the introduction of a Vacant Residential Property Tax at one per cent of the capital improved value on properties held vacant for six months...
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Report Insights on the UN’s Financialisation of Housing
The UN Special Rapporteur’s Report into the financialisation of housing delivers a damning indictment on the worldwide commodification of housing. The report investigates the state of housing globally, the current economic policy trends to control and shape...
Value Capture & Its Beneficiaries
Prosper's recent value capture submission answered pressing questions, an indication of how deeply the Department of Infrastructure is considering this vital funding mechanism. Read the department's Value Capture discussion paper for an insight into their...
Next time government says it can’t afford to build, wave this IA report in their face
Australia has a problem: we can’t build roads, rail and schools as fast as population is growing with current government financing methods. Failing to keep up with our current needs – let alone investing for an uncertain future - puts the living standards of everyone...
True Grit: leadership, political backbone and advancing the national interest
The worst tax we pay is a state charge – conveyancing Stamp Duty, which makes it hard, sometimes impossible, to move across town to a better job or around the corner to a bigger or smaller home. Anyone living with modern teenagers and the elderly in a house of many...
Retiring to live on the fat of the land may not be possible – rents are falling
CoreLogic’s Quarterly Review of the residential property market released yesterday brings sobering news for land holders – particularly Australia’s 1.2 million strong Negatively Geared investor class. Rents are falling. Source: CoreLogic CoreLogic’s Tim Lawless...
Seize the Day, Scott Morrison – rid Australia of a bad tax and free up the land
The land supply equation in Australia - flashing red danger signals for years - has finally come to the attention of federal Treasurer Scott Morrison, who is charged with the task of advancing national prosperity. He may even be prompted into action. Notoriously...
REIA contradicts itself on negative-gearing policy (updated)
Further to my post of 21 May, I note that the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) is now making two contradictory claims on Labor's negative-gearing policy. In mid May, the REIA launched its campaign claiming that if negative gearing for future...
Challenging the banks
The Bernie Sanders-Hillary Clinton contest in the debates for Democratic Party presidential nominee is paring back to whether Main Street should challenge the Big End of Town. Sanders has questioned Clinton's judgment at least, in accepting $225,000 to speak...
If you’re not a property investor, your retirement plans don’t matter, says IPA
by Dr Gavin Putland Professor Sinclair Davidson for the Institute of Public Affairs has written an “occasional paper” under the title “What politicians need to know about negative gearing”, opposing the known Labor policy of allowing negative gearing only for new...