AAP Image/Joel Carrett
On the back of ongoing tax concessions primarily benefitting the wealthiest and the government’s five per cent deposit scheme for first home buyers, Australia has just broken a new record for average home loan size.
On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor discuss the persistent rumours of changes to the capital gains tax discount, why government spending isn’t to blame for the latest inflation increase, and the impact of the federal government’s five per cent deposit scheme on lending figures (and don’t discuss wages as promised last week, cus Greg can’t read a calendar).
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 12 February 2026.
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Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut
Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek
Show notes:
Will the government finally deliver a housing policy that stops making a bad situation worse? by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (February 2026)
“They rushed this”: why the Reserve Bank got it wrong by raising rates, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (February 2026)
Profit in home lending by David Richardson, the Australia Institute (February 2026)
Submission to the Select Committee on the Operation of the Capital Gains Tax Discount by Matt Grudnoff and Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (February 2026)
Australia’s great gas giveaway by Mark Ogge, Rod Campbell and Piers Verstegan, the Australia Institute (May 2024)
Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.
Changes to eligibility requirements will see 160,000 participants cut from the scheme over the next four years, as the government looks to cap annual growth at 8 per cent by 2028. Disability advocates are describing the decision as as ‘revolting’, ‘frightening’ and ‘deeply troubling’.
The response to the overdue structural changes to the housing tax concessions announced in Tuesday’s federal budget seems a real-world red/blue button question. The number of people jumping to ‘I’m screwed’ because they’ll have to pay slightly more tax on any potential sale, based on any gain – the profit – they made on their purchase, is as individualistic as you can get.
