Recorded live at Hope Street Radio in Melbourne, Danielle Wood—Chair of the Productivity Commission and former CEO of the Grattan Institute—joins Jonathan O’Brien to discuss what stagnant productivity is costing an ordinary household, as well as what the Sydney lockout laws teach us about governing at speed, and why “hamburger-with-the-lot” procurement can end in a $1.7 million public toilet.

They also look ahead: to how government should think about data centre regulations, and to why Australia, as a small open economy, might not need an overarching AI Act.

Read Danielle’s essay in Inflection Points: https://inflectionpoints.work/articles/the-red-tape-impulse

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Auckland is the world’s most well-studied example of upzoning and planning reform. It’s the landmark story of how loosening restrictions enables more homes to be built—and yet the history of how it happened is not well understood.

Join New Zealand’s own Stuart Donovan for an in-depth chat about the Auckland upzoning, the housing crisis, and what it takes to get good policy over the line.

It’s not the same as social housing, and it doesn’t help those most in need. Australia is spending big on ‘affordable’ housing—but we shouldn’t.The reality is that ‘affordable’ housing is deeply, intrinsically flawed. It is a wasteful use of public funds that redirects government support away from the people who need it most. It provides those who do benefit with help they don’t particularly value, and the criteria and rules set up to administer it result in bizarre outcomes. Most importantly, the policy is wholly ineffective at delivering the outcome Australians actually want: not ‘affordable’ housing, but inexpensive housing. Dominic Behrens co-authored “Against ‘Affordable’ Housing” with Ethan Gilbert, and is our guest on today’s show.Hosted by Jonathan O’Brien, Editor-in-Chief of Inflection Points.

Read the article: https://inflectionpoints.work/articles/against-affordable-housing