Andrew Bragg: Will Taxing Investors Make Housing Affordable?

Will taxing property investors actually make housing more affordable—or simply change who owns the homes?

Australia's housing affordability crisis is real, but the political response to it is anything but straightforward. In this episode of The Elephant in the Room, Veronica Morgan and Chris Bates sit down with Senator Andrew Bragg, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness, for a robust discussion about Labor's changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and property investment.

Andrew argues that Australia's biggest problem isn't simply who owns property or how much tax investors pay—it's that we're not building enough homes. The conversation digs into the unintended consequences of restricting investment, the impact on housing supply, the role of SMSFs, the 5% deposit scheme, migration and whether government policies are inadvertently pushing people towards different forms of leverage.

But criticism is only half the conversation. Veronica and Chris push Andrew on what should happen instead, exploring infrastructure funding, construction productivity, skilled migration, planning and regulation, the National Construction Code, tax incentives for new builds and ways to encourage more housing supply. Andrew also outlines three Coalition housing policies: an infrastructure fund, a housing and migration pledge, and a recalibration of the National Construction Code.

If you're an investor, homeowner or aspiring buyer trying to understand where Australia's housing market is heading, this is a conversation worth hearing. It cuts through the political slogans and asks the harder question: are we actually fixing the housing problem—or simply moving the pieces around?

Episode Highlights01:34 – Why Andrew Bragg Thinks Housing Reform Is Backwards

04:13 – Will Taxing Investors Reduce Housing Supply?

08:48 – Why Andrew Bragg Opposes the SMSF Property Ban

12:13 – Is Superannuation Limiting Your Investment Choices?

17:54 – Andrew Bragg's Plan to Get More Homes Built

19:46 – Can Migration Keep Rising Without More Housing?

28:29 – Can Canberra Actually Force States to Build?