Economics Explored Fixing Australia’s Housing Crisis: Fusion’s Plan w/ Owen Miller - EP277
There’s an upcoming election in Australia, and housing will be a big issue. Show host Gene Tunny chats with Fusion Party candidate Owen Miller about Fusion’s sweeping housing policy proposals. Topics include eliminating negative gearing, taxing capital gains on owner-occupied homes, and increasing public housing. They also discuss ideas like charter cities, high-speed rail, and a government-run real estate platform.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for Gene, please email him at contact@economicsexplored.com.
About Owen Miller
Owen Miller grew up in Sydney and has long been interested in science fiction, ultimately leading to the study of mechatronics (robotics & control systems) and computer science at the University of Sydney.
After working in different software roles in Sydney and even dealing Blackjack for some months, Owen moved to Seattle to work on the recommender systems at Amazon. Owen later moved to New York and was involved in smaller startups, especially in hospitality. Although the start-ups didn't take off, this rite of passage involved less shielding from the real world and helped clarify the roles of the market and the state in the provision of essential aspects of life, such as software and social cooperation.
In 2020, Owen started the Non-Human Party; a vision for an opt-in online nationality that would optimise the existence of robots and animals, in addition to humans.
Upon moving to Melbourne in 2022, Owen became the Registered Officer of Fusion, with the hope of enabling Australia to reach its full potential as a wealthy, sustainable and harmonious paradise; a beacon for the rest of the world. He currently serves as Fusion’s Convenor.
Owen was Fusion’s candidate for the 2023 Aston federal by-election.
In 2024, he ran as a candidate for local council in Merri-bek (for the Bulleke-Bek ward).
He will again be running as a federal candidate in 2025, this time in Wills.
In 2024, Spotify classified Owen as belonging to the top 0.05% of Kylie Minogue fans.
Source: https://www.fusionparty.org.au/owen_miller
Timestamps
- Introduction (0:00)
- Relationship Between Fusion Party and Pirate Party (3:07)
- Fusion Party's Housing Policy Goals (4:04)
- Comparisons with Other Countries and Tax Policy (6:19)
- Immigration and Housing Policy (9:09)
- Owner-Occupier Capital Gains Tax and Land Tax (12:53)
- Renter's Rights and Social Housing (17:16)
- Supply-Side Housing Policies (27:49)
- Liberté Account and Open Source Real Estate Listings (38:24)
- Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up (51:02)
Takeaways
- Tax reform is central to Fusion’s housing strategy — They propose reducing capital gains tax discounts and phasing in land tax for all properties, including owner-occupied homes.
- Fusion supports a major investment in social housing — Advocating a jump from 3.2% to 10% of housing stock as public housing.
- Tenant rights need an upgrade — Fusion argues for banning no-fault evictions and establishing minimum standards like clean air and energy efficiency.
- Livret A accounts could revolutionize infrastructure funding — A French-style citizen savings bond to fund high-speed rail and public housing projects.
- Urban sprawl isn't the answer — Fusion favors infill development and transport-driven decentralization over expanding city fringes.
Links relevant to the conversation
Fusion’s housing policy:
https://www.fusionparty.org.au/housing_as_a_home
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Full transcripts are available a few days after the episode is first published at www.economicsexplored.com.