The Federal Budget Reality Check with Economist Leith van Onselen

The Federal Budget Reality Check with Economist Leith van Onselen

May 20, 2026 · 56 min

About this episode

Economist Leith van Onselen discusses the implications of the Albanese government's budget on inflation, housing, and productivity in Australia.

Leith van Onselen is one of Australia's most credible economists and a straight-talking critic of government policy.  In this episode, we dissect the Albanese government's latest budget and its real impact on inflation, housing affordability, and living standards. Leith explains why this isn't tax reform but simply a tax grab, how immigration policy is driving the housing crisis, and why Australia's productivity growth ranks among the worst in the OECD. We explore the disconnect between headline GDP figures and per capita reality, the expansion of the government-funded sector, and what this means for future generations. We get into: • Why the budget won't help with inflation or interest rates • How immigration policy is crush-loading housing and infrastructure • The productivity crisis dragging down living standards • Government sector expansion crowding out private enterprise • Capital gains tax changes that could kill startup innovation • Bracket creep silently increasing everyone's tax burden • The 30% minimum CGT targeting self-funded retirees Join my exclusive Mentored+ community:  https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Bouris

Guest: Leith van Onselen

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Albanese government, OECD

More episodes of Straight Talk with Mark Bouris

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Straight Talk with Mark Bouris podcast page.