Economics for Activists 2008

Karl FitzgeraldPast Events6 Comments

Short Course – 4 x Tuesdays starting Oct 14th* 6.15 – 8pm Following last year’s highly successful Economics for Activists series, Karl Fitzgerald (3CR – Renegade Economists) returns to provide these gold coin sessions. Investigate universal economic laws and how they influence our everyday lives as activists, advocates and solid citizens. Now more than ever activists and solid citizens alike … Read More

Rudd’s $500m subsidy for speculators

Karl FitzgeraldCommentaryLeave a Comment

Today’s big announcement promoted by the Rudd government: The $512 million Housing Affordability Fund, promised before the last election, is expected to help 50,000 new home buyers in the next five years. “What I am signalling loud and clear is that we want to tackle the housing affordability crisis for Australian families which has gotten out of control, and we … Read More

Speed Renting Takes Off

Karl FitzgeraldCommentaryLeave a Comment

Quoted in today’s Melbourne Leader: DESPERATE room seekers fret not: speed renting has arrived. In ways similar to its dating counterpart, speed renting gives desperate room seekers in Melbourne the chance to meet leaseholders without excess travel or advertising costs. Tomorrow dozens of potential housemates and leaseholders will gather at digital arts bar, Horse Bazaar, for the first ever Melbourne … Read More

A Fair Deal On South African Land reform?

Karl FitzgeraldCommentary, InternationalLeave a Comment

photo credit: derekkeats Mark Braund Guardian UK The South African government’s recent decision to abandon its Expropriation Bill, aimed at addressing the painfully slow pace of land reform, prompts the question: how can the country move towards a more equitable distribution of land and natural resources 14 years after the end of apartheid? Given the catastrophe in Zimbabwe following Mugabe’s … Read More

Bursting the Bubble – SBS Insight

Karl FitzgeraldCommentary, FeaturesLeave a Comment

Last night’s Insight focused on the tragedy unfolding in the housing market and it’s effects on the rest of the economy. It was good to see that Housing Supply side issues got some time on air, but again the property lobby had large numbers in the crowd, no NGO’s got a guernsey, the omnipresent Ross Gittins took the softly softly … Read More