The calls for tax reform come thick and fast – like hammer blows upon the Turnbull government, on its knees praying for a recovery in public opinion. The AFR today gave Australian Institute of Company Directors CEO Elizabeth Proust the pulpit to call for an increase...
BLOG: Commentary
Housing affordability and the changing debt burden of a typical mortgage
by Philip Soos reposted from The Guardian Australia’s historically high and rising housing prices are widely debated and have prompted a number of government inquiries into housing affordability. The question stands open: is housing affordable in Australia?...
Redirecting Royalties to the Rural Rump – The Nationals go vote-harvesting
The Western Australian election 11 March will be a furious battle, but don’t bother with the popcorn – the ALP led by Mark McGowan is set to win easily and the fireworks of One Nation will prove a damp squib. Facing certain defeat, the Liberal–National Coalition are...
Building bridges to ourselves: Infrastructure Australia’s Value Capture initiative
A great way to bury an unwelcome government report is to release it into the alcoholic haze of a hot Australian Christmas. Infrastructure Australia’s Capturing Value paper is too important to suffer this fate: who pays for the infrastructure we need is a matter of...
Time to fix economic blight
Do you see the cat? Read on. THE PROGRESSIVE ERA Americans apparently consider the Progressive Era (1890s to 1920s) belongs to them. The period was driven by the reformist ideas of Henry George as taken up by public officials across the US political spectrum; amongst...
Productivity and Prosperity? Yes Please!
Last month, the Productivity Commission delivered a damning assessment of Australia’s productivity performance over the last 12 years in the discussion paper Increasing Australia’s future prosperity. They asked for submissions with fresh ideas. Prosper has a few: •...
Join the team at Prosper!
Prosper Australia is seeking expressions of interest for a researcher/campaigner. We need a talented individual with the character to drive change. We are a small NGO based in North Melbourne with a long history and an ambitious agenda. Join a team committed to...
Tim Pallas protects land tax revenues – and the people of Victoria
The Victorian Treasurer yesterday dismissed belly-aching by holders of valuable parcels whose private joy over the strong rises in land prices comes with a sting – their State Land Tax went up too. ‘‘The government is not considering reducing land tax rates in...
Exposed: Scomo’s ‘fix’ on housing costs a sop to Libs’ Big Developer donors
by Warwick Smith Warwick Smith smells a rat in Scomo's sudden solution to housing affordability – planning reform – coming just ten days after developers' call for same. SCOTT MORRISON has suddenly announced that he cares about housing affordability. This is...
NSW Premier Baird passes the Elixir bottle without taking a swig
NSW Finance Minister Dominic Perrottet floated the idea of exchanging Stamp Duty for State Land Tax in The Australian yesterday. We warmly welcomed his initiative and explained some of the big benefits this offered NSW. By 5.30pm yesterday, Philip Coorey had the...