Investors fled Victoria, houses stayed put
Changes to land taxes in Victoria pushed landlords out of the market — but didn’t reduce housing supply or drive up rents, showing that scrapping the CGT discount could improve affordability nationwide.
Changes to land taxes in Victoria pushed landlords out of the market — but didn’t reduce housing supply or drive up rents, showing that scrapping the CGT discount could improve affordability nationwide.
The inflation figures released today confirm what we already know: inflation is being driven by higher fuel costs. This points to a supply shock rather than demand-driven inflation, meaning increasing interest rates will just heap more pointless pain on Australian households.
One of the biggest myths perpetrated by conservatives is that Australia is a high-taxing nation, and that Australian workers are taxed more than other nations. The 2026 OECD Taxing Wages Report reveals that this is simply not true. Rather, the problem is that the government raises too little in other taxes.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out applying a gas export tax to existing contracts, despite overwhelming public support and mounting pressure for a fairer return from gas exports.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit Australia next week as reports emerge that Anthony Albanese has abandoned plans for a gas export tax as to avoid upsetting key trading partners. The visit comes two weeks after a Senate inquiry examined how Australia taxes gas exports. The Greens argue that the idea that a tax would threaten Australia’s trading relationships was “fundamentally rejected” by the inquiry.
Protesters highlighted the significant risks posed to Scott Reef and marine ecosystems, as Woodside comes under pressure over the Browse project’s emissions and costs, as well as its appearance at a Senate inquiry into gas taxation.
It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loops you in on what’s going on in America and shares news and analysis that you can trust.
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Gas companies argue that a 25% gas export tax would threaten Japan’s energy supply - this is nonsense.
The first public hearing for the Select Committee on the Taxation of Gas resources saw environmental and community groups argue Australia is failing to secure a fair return from its gas exports, with a proposal for a 25 per cent export tax gaining traction.
Former schoolteacher and Punter’s Politics founder Konrad Benjamin says he is “taking the hits” and doing "Albo’s job for him" on gas tax reform, while his crowdfunded “people’s lobbyist” campaign reflects public frustration with how policy decisions are made and who influences them.
US allies are being forced to rethink their security and economic ties as Donald Trump lashes out at his geopolitical rivals and traditional partners. Speaking on the Australia Institute’s Follow The Money podcast, US political expert Dr Emma Shortis said global leaders are “absolutely appalled” by Trump’s warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran failed to meet his deadline to strike a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The longer days of summer offer desk jockeys like me a seasonal opportunity for direct sunlight. After work, I like to go swimming. But my local pool, like too many others across Australia, has fallen into a dire state of disrepair.
