#186 - Negatively geared

🎧 NEW PODCAST EPISODE Episode 186 – Negatively geared In this episode, Andy and Roger somehow begin with Rebecca Black and karaoke videos before spiralling into Harrison Ford, Joe Biden, ageing rock stars, and the psychological inability of powerful people to retire gracefully. It only gets more cheerful from there. The main discussion centres on the Australian federal budget and the government’s proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions. Andy breaks down exactly how negative gearing works, why investors have historically been willing to run rental losses, and how the combination of tax policy and capital gains transformed Australian housing into a long-term wealth machine. Roger questions whether the changes are genuinely about housing affordability or simply another case of younger generations being told to lower their expectations. The conversation explores whether the reforms actually help first-home buyers, why rents could rise instead, and how grandfathering existing arrangements effectively locks in advantages for older asset owners while removing the same opportunities for younger Australians. They also debate Labor’s broken promises on tax reform, the growing populist right in Australian politics, and whether parties still win elections on policy at all. Later, the discussion shifts into public sector efficiency, DOGE-style government reform, bureaucracy, and why fixing government systems is far more complicated than simply hiring “smart outsiders”. Andy argues the people inside government already know where the inefficiencies are, while Roger questions whether large Western governments have lost the ability to deliver major outcomes effectively. They finish by discussing Pauline Hanson, the fractured Australian centre-right, influencer politics, social media campaigning, and why the next generation of political candidates may look more like TikTok creators than traditional party operators. Hashtags: #NegativeGearing #AustralianPolitics #FederalBudget #HousingCrisis #CapitalGainsTax #PropertyMarket #IntergenerationalWealth #HousingAffordability #LaborParty #AnthonyAlbanese #PaulineHanson #OneNation #AustralianEconomy #DOGE #GovernmentSpending #PublicService #PoliticalCommentary #AndyAndRoger #PodcastDiscussion #AustralianHousing #BoomersVsMillennials #CultureWars #SocialMediaPolitics Engage with us on social media: Website: http://themiddle.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_middle_podcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themiddlepodcastandyroger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Middle-Podcast/100089236832534/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMiddlePC Email: [email protected] Sign up to our subscriber email list: Visit our website: http://themiddle.site/ Or click: https://forms.gle/4qATmU2yiHgjZrej8