The Swan Federal budget was limited in its' vision, giving with one hand in the old welfare game but taking away with the other by providing further subsidy to propertied interests. Whilst it is widely reported that the wealthy were hit by means testing, fellow...
BLOG: Commentary
Interest Rates Shoot the Messenger
March 08 figures reveal that loans for first home owners dropped to just 16.4% of owner-occupied approvals. Yes 16.4%! The Great Australian Dream is being dominated by baby boomers and/ or speculators. Those that most need a roof over their heads are the last in the...
Canberra’s policy vision
Finally a breath of fresh air has been blown upon the housing affordability issue. The ACT government has acted upon its long history of innovative financing by proposing a system of leasing land. Income earners below $75,000 will be able to lease the land at 2% p.a...
2030, Affordability and Understanding
Today's report on the Melbourne 2030 urban growth boundary cries out for a comment from Prosper Australia members. Melbourne University academic Rob Moodie rolled out the usual suspects in recommending that dwellings per hectare improve on the urban fringe, that there...
Airport parking mafia
The power of monopoly rights was recently exposed with the growth in parking revenue at Melbourne Airport. Australian Pacific Airports Corporation is the owner of Melbourne Airport, a group controlled by a number of Australian infrastructure funds. It was reported in...
Oil Speculators take us for a ride
With Oil soon to hit $120 a barrel, public interest is building on the role speculators play in pushing prices higher. India’s Solution for Oil Prices: Ban Speculation by Banning Trading quotes: Buying stakes in overseas oil properties is proving much cheaper for...
Royksopp – Remind Me
Watch this clever animation of modern life and the insights gained when the big picture is considered. Animation is such an effective learning medium in our cluttered worlds. Life from all levels is analysed - except of course the big one - the monopolisation of land...
Land Tax Lobbyists active as State Budget approaches
Todays Age article on Land Tax Cuts Wont Bring Savings alerts all those interested in defending the communities right to a share of the free lunch land prices reflect. The next few weeks will see the property lobby step up their claims to pay less and less of the one...
Three Dimensional Economics
by Karl Fitzgerald as published in Arena Magazine, Feb-March, 2008, Edition 93 In a period where the twin crises of global warming and the wealth gap are attacking society from both sides, policy makers are continually limited in their effectiveness by a two...
Global Haywire – Film review
Check this new Ausse film - a must see for those concerned about globalisation, terrorism and the wealth gap. Unfortunately it doesn't have the kind of hard nosed economic reform we would like, but still well worth the viewing for the lessons on the Middle East. This...