Labor must stop juicing house prices and make buying a home the Australian dream – not negatively gearing one | Greg Jericho

The rumours of action on the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing are louder than before any budget this century. But is the PM up to the task? Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast As uncertainty hits everywhere, the Australian housing market continues its usual path upwards. Less than two months ago, I let rip at the IMF for titling its latest World Economic Outlook as “Global Economy: Steady amid Divergent Forces” despite the fact a clueless fool sits in the White House ready to unleash chaos should his blood sugar levels fall too low. If the graph does not display click here I can’t wait for the IMF’s April update, which will no doubt tell us that the forces remain “divergent” if steady. The war in Iran makes it rather impossible to say what will happen in the economy over the next six months – aside from gas companies profiting off human misery: If the graph does not display click here But there is, admittedly, one other constant in our economy: government policy that juices demand for housing will increase house prices and reduce affordability: If the graph does not display click here On Tuesday the latest dwelling price figures