BLOG: Commentary

Clyde Cameron on Late Night Live

With the recent passing of our number one ticket holder, Clyde Cameron, we were pleased to hear the ABC's Phillip Adams replay the 1999 Late Night Live interview he held with the Honorable Clyde Cameron. It is a fascinating discussion with Clyde covering the...

Out of Reach – housing forum

Last night saw SBS's excellent Insight program tackle housing affordability under the title Out of Reach. Over 270 comments have been posted since the event, giving warrant to the excellent comparing host Jenny Brockie does each week. As probably the fourth panel type...

Landlords claim a $3 billion subsidy

Negative Gearing provides cream for nation's wealthiest Our topsy turvy tax system sees commentators claiming: "In most businesses, losing money is frowned on. In this one, however, it has become the spirit of the game, with landlords writing off their claimed losses...

Brumby Delivers Free Lunch

The front cover of today's Herald Sun has a huge photo of Horse Stud owner Steve Spiteri (looking hard done by!) with a caption: 'Thanks Premier: Steve Hits Paydirt'. Yesterday's announcement to rezone all land residential within Melbourne's 2030 boundary has made...

Brumby sprawls on affordability

Prosper Australia today applauded the State Government’s announcement for taking housing affordability more seriously. However, questions must be asked about who benefits most from this announcement. “Today’s declaration of residential zoning has made Victoria’s land...

Land Supply controlled by Land Bankers

Below we can see 2 examples of former Commonwealth land being released 'to the market'. Snapped up by a developer in Melbourne's most impoverished neighbourhood (Braybrook), such large 'land banks' are manipulated to drip feed houses to the markets so that high prices...

Another Day Another Affordability scare

The bluntness of Interest Rates is again in the news: Average Pay Wont Buy a Home. Whilst we hear again that mortgage payments are taking an increasing share of our pre-tax income (now 37.4% to service a median home), the Opposition Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull proposed...