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...
BLOG: Articles
Rezoning in Queensland rife for further investigation
If only 4 Corners was edgy enough to cover this important work, because as Fairfax's Michael Pascoe said, this research should be triggering a royal commission. Cross-posted from Cameron Murray's Fresh Economic Thinking blog How to get your land rezoned: A QLD story...
A GST hike will hurt everyone. Everyone.
The AFR’s economics editor Alan Mitchell has taken a Treasury briefing. He is out this morning offering all sorts of reasons why a broader, higher GST is a brilliant master-stroke that deserves universal applause. He knows, we all know, a Goods and Services Tax is...
Judgement Day arrives for illegal foreign buyers
reposted from Macrobusiness by Leith van Onselen Today is 1 December, which means that the amnesty on illegal foreign buyers of Australian residential real estate is over and the Government’s new penalty regime comes into effect. From today, a foreign national that...
Reform Agenda Machinations
Published as The Planned Obsolescence of the Public Interest in Online Opinion A fascinating power play continues in the debate over vertical fiscal imbalance. The strategic intent is prevalent from federal to local politics, where the health of the public revenue...
Australia cries ‘Aorta!’
Australians love to whinge about our bust federal system. It is a national sport where we stand around with hands in pockets and call out “Aorta!” “Aorta deregulate!” “Aorta fund schools! “Aorta cut taxes!” “Aorta build roads! Consider our public hospitals - which...
Do we at last have an Infrastructure Prime Minister?
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull delighting Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk by announcing a federal contribution of $95 million for the Gold Coast light rail project. Journalists have leapt on this new policy stance, different from the...
Freebairn & Stewart: Let’s talk tax.
Professors John Freebairn and Miranda Stewart have penned an opinion piece today in The Age with a welcome call for state tax reform that could save taxpayers tens of billions every year. Most taxes carry deadweight losses - value destroyed as behaviour is distorted...
Land rents with Thai rice
by Phillip Anderson, Editor of Cycles, Trends and Forecasts Events around the world don’t happen in a vacuum. They have causes. They’re usually linked back to rent and the corruption and self serving nature of government. Indeed, the biggest problem around the world...
Dan Tehan wants to end Stamp Duty – for a big new GST???
MHR Dan Tehan (Liberal, Wannon) had an op-ed in today's Australian Financial Review, States dragging their heels on tax reform, criticising them for clinging to very bad taxes, notably Stamp Duty on property conveyancing. “Home buyers across the country are still...