Swan wimps out to property lobby

Karl FitzgeraldCommentary8 Comments

With all the promise of a tough budget, the biggest concern is the limp wristed, white flag response to the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG). Rudd’s recent mention that’ the FHOG won’t go on forever’ must have seen some furious lobbying in the halls of power by the Ron Silverberg’s (HIA) of the property lobby. Last night we learned that … Read More

Review: The Secret Life of Real Estate

Karl FitzgeraldCommentary2 Comments

Review by Mason Gaffney, May 2009 available from our bookshop – $50 hardback This is an exciting, important and timely work; it will sell well. Anderson has ferreted out and marshaled dozens of sources on the 18-year cycle of boom and bust in real estate, its history, its mechanics, and its dynamics. Some sources are old and neglected; some are … Read More

Privateering the Commons

Karl FitzgeraldCommentaryLeave a Comment

photo credit: Peter Blanchard Renegade Economists Podcast 88 Subscribe to the podcast As broadcast on the almighty www.3cr.org.au on Wed May 6th. This week we discuss the frontiers of privatisation – from DNA to deserts to even the use of words! We also interview Mark Wakeham (EV) & Peter Campbell (Green Living Pedia) about Victoria’s pathetic solar feed in tariff. … Read More

Greenwash to wedge politics

Karl FitzgeraldCommentaryLeave a Comment

photo credit: corvidmagic The world of pass-the-buck hit home with Rudd’s cop out yesterday. It’s too hard for us, let’s ‘leave it to Obama to sort it out in Copenhagen’. Perhaps Obama has given the ALP a get out of jail card with the Democrat’s Waxman-Markey Bill beginning it’s long path through Congress. The US seems to be moving towards … Read More