Thu 14 May 2026 15.45 AEST
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
The government’s changes to capital gains and negative gearing will begin to undo decades of damage to the housing market caused by Howard-era policies – so will Elinor actually be able to buy a house?
On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor discuss the federal budget, the latest wages data, and why the government is making Australian workers wait-o for the WATO.
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 14 May 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:
Australian workers have been hard done by and tax reforms in the budget only begin to return some fairness by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (May 2026)
The budget in seven graphs: no big surprises but this may be one of the most ambitious moves to fix Australia’s finances by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (May 2026)
Budget 2026: serious housing reforms but a missed opportunity to tax gas exports, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (May 2026)
Budget 2026: Treasurer’s speech, annotated by Greg Jericho, The Point (May 2026)
Submission to the Select Committee on the Operation of the Capital Gains Tax Discount by Matt Grudnoff and Greg Jericho, the Australia Institute (December 2025)
Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions
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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.
