The Elephant in the Room
The property podcast for the thinking person.

Episodes

Episode 452: Andrew Bragg: Will Taxing Investors Make Housing Affordable?

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

Australia’s housing affordability crisis is now central to national debate, affecting first-home buyers, renters and property investors alike. While policymakers continue to focus on housing affordability in Australia, a key question remains unresolved: are we addressing the real drivers of high prices, or simply reshaping who owns property through tax changes like negative gearing and capital gains tax reform?

In this episode of The Elephant in the Room, Veronica Morgan and Chris Bates speak with Senator Andrew Bragg about whether changes to investor taxation will actually improve affordability or simply reduce investment in housing. The discussion explores whether negative gearing affects housing affordability, and what could happen to rental supply if investor incentives are reduced.

A major theme is that Australia’s housing crisis is fundamentally a supply problem. Even if more projects are approved, homes still need to be financially viable to build. Construction costs, labour shortages, regulation and infrastructure burdens all impact whether new housing actually gets delivered, raising the question of how to increase housing supply in Australia in a meaningful way.

The conversation also examines why housing is so expensive in Australia, pointing to the imbalance between strong demand and constrained supply. Migration, construction capacity and planning inefficiencies all play a role, but the deeper issue is whether current policy settings are helping or hindering the delivery of new homes.

Ultimately, the episode highlights that there is no single fix. Whether through property tax reform, planning changes or broader supply-side solutions, Australia’s housing outcomes depend on how all these forces interact—and whether policy encourages more housing to be built, not just redistributed.

Episode Highlights

Senator Andrew Bragg is the Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness and a prominent voice in Australia's housing and economic policy debate. He has been deeply involved in scrutinising Labor's changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and SMSF property investment, while also helping develop the Coalition's alternative housing agenda.

Before entering politics, Andrew worked at Ernst & Young, the Financial Services Council and the Business Council of Australia, giving him extensive experience across financial services, taxation and economic policy. He has also written about Australia's superannuation system, bringing a broader perspective on wealth creation, investment and retirement policy.

In this episode, Andrew brings that policy background to one of Australia's most contentious issues: how to improve housing affordability without undermining investment and supply. He makes the case for reducing construction costs and regulation, increasing building productivity, recalibrating migration and making housing development more economically viable.

About the Guest

01:34 – 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?

31:55 – Could Falling Property Sales Blow a Hole in State Budgets?

35:05 – Should Australia Open Up to Foreign Housing Investment?

38:51 – Could Tighter Lending Be Locking Buyers Out?

42:22 – Is Australia's Housing Crisis Fuelled by Bad Policy?

Connect with Sen. Andrew

Resources:

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Chris Bates