Exchanges with Amy Auster: Should we HECS the home?

It's one of the most provocative policy questions in Australia right now should we put a HECS-style scheme on the family home? This week on Exchanges, we sit down with Amy Auster CEO of the Policy Institute of Australia to to discuss this very idea. Amy unpacks the deep complexities and inequities baked into Australia's transfer and pension systems, and makes the case for innovative reforms that could fundamentally reshape the way we think about housing equity, intergenerational wealth, and fiscal responsibility. From the growing divide between those who inherit wealth and those who don't, to the sustainability of a system that can't keep carrying the weight it's being asked to carry we exchange the hard questions and offers the kind of fresh thinking that our housing debate desperately needs. To find out more about Amy and her work go here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyauster/ Website: https://www.policyinstitute.org.au/ Paper: Home truths: The case for rebalancing toward better means testing _________________________________________ Today's episode is sponsored by Mitrade a multi-regulated CFD trading platform, founded in Melbourne, that lets you access over 900 financial instruments — from gold and forex to indices and stocks — all in one place, with no commission. Trading CFDs carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Please consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. AFSL 398528. https://mytd.cc/yxTv _________________________________________ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Economic Policy and Fairness 02:40 The Growth of the Social Safety Net 05:28 Means Testing and Equity in Transfer Programs 08:30 Revisiting the Age Pension and Asset Tests 10:40 Proposed Retirement Contribution Scheme 12:24 Risks and Perceptions of Borrowing Against Assets 14:13 Challenges in Implementing Policy Changes 16:04 Tax Cuts and the Transfer System 19:35 Inflation and Fiscal Discipline 21:30 Redistributing Savings for Budget Repair 23:37 Case Study: Judy and Housing Wealth 26:54 Normalising Asset Utilization in Retirement