Dr Michael Walker steps into the host’s chair to unpack why capital gains tax has surged back into national debate and why it matters for every Australian feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis.

At the centre of the discussion is the 50% capital gains tax discount, introduced in 1999, and how it has fuelled property speculation, inflated house prices, and pushed home ownership further out of reach. As house prices have soared far beyond wage growth, average earners are increasingly locked into lifelong renting, while rising mortgages and rents drive widespread housing stress.

Drawing on recent polling and research from groups including the Everybody’s Home Coalition, Dr Walker highlights the stark trade-offs households are making just to stay housed—skipping meals, avoiding medical care, and cutting basic utilities. With housing now the single biggest driver of cost-of-living stress, the stakes could not be higher.

The episode also grounds the debate in Catholic Social Teaching, referencing the Australian Bishops’ affirmation that housing is a basic human right and a cornerstone of the common good. Winding back the capital gains tax discount, Dr Walker argues, would not solve the crisis overnight, but it would be a crucial step toward a fairer, more just housing system.

This week on Speaking of Social Justice, Dr Julie Macken takes on one of the most overused — and often misunderstood — phrases in our public conversation: “social cohesion.”

What does it really mean to “hold together” as a society when people are hurting, divided, and afraid? And is cohesion even the right word, or does it risk glossing over pain, inequality, and real difference?

Julie reflects on how fragile we all remain, no matter how old we get. From playground cruelty to political provocation, from rising Islamophobia and antisemitism to collective grief in places like Bondi and Gaza, this episode asks a deeper question: What would it look like to meet our differences with care rather than cruelty?

This is not a call for slogans, silence, or “Velcro-style” unity. It’s a plea for lowering the temperature, recognising shared humanity, and treating one another gently, because the stakes are high, and hurt people really do hurt people.

Dr Julie Macken looks ahead at the major social justice issues shaping Australia, from offshore detention inquiries and national security investigations to rising political division and community strain.

But beyond the headlines, this is a deeper reflection on something more personal and urgent: our shared humanity.

Julie explores what happens when public debate turns into social fracture, why so many people are emotionally exhausted by the state of the nation, and why caring for one another is not optional work, it’s civic work. Drawing on moments of solidarity seen during past crises, she asks whether we can relearn how to disagree without dehumanising, and reconnect as a community.

Stay engaged and keep showing up for one another.