Vivienne's recent articles

Strategic response to Australia’s housing problems long overdue

Strategic response to Australia’s housing problems long overdue

In just four years since the advent of COVID-19, Australia’s house prices have climbed by a dizzying 50%. Defying orthodox expectations that property inflation would be quelled by rising interest rates, that upward trend has continued even since the RBA’s monetary tightening phase began in mid-2022, with prices up by 12% in that period alone.

Embedding indigenous advice in government policy key to real change

Embedding indigenous advice in government policy key to real change

In discussions of the upcoming referendum on establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, a question often raised is how will it make a difference? This has been difficult for advocates to address because instances of governments’ empowering our First Nations peoples are few and far between.

Boasting about budget expenditure numbers does not make for a housing policy

The Federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Michael Sukkar, is fond of quoting large numbers when quizzed on what his government is doing to address Australia’s enduring housing crisis.  So, we hear for instance that annual Federal spending on housing and homelessness programs has reached over $8b and that his government is exceeding Labor’s spend on social housing and homelessness support.