Radio National Breakfast Greens 'really pleased' after Senate committee endorses CGT discount changes
Mar 17, 2026
Nick McKim, Tasmanian Greens senator who chaired a Senate inquiry into the capital gains tax discount, discusses why the CGT discount favors wealthier Australians. He explains how it skews the housing market toward investors. He outlines Greens' plans to remove the discount for investment properties and argues for more public housing alongside tax reform.
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Government Signaling Opens Reform Opportunity
- The government indicating options are being developed shows reform is on the table and an informed conversation is being promoted.
- McKim welcomed the Treasurer's cautious stance as an opening for historic policy change on CGT.
CGT Discount Fuels Investor Dominance In Housing
- The capital gains tax discount disproportionately benefits wealthier, older Australians and skews housing toward investors rather than owner-occupiers.
- Nick McKim says this tax break raises house prices and narrows first-home buyer access, arguing capital income should be taxed more like wage income.
CGT Discount Creates Large Tax Inequality
- Capital gains income can be taxed at roughly half the rate of wage income due to the CGT discount, creating a tax disparity between workers and investors.
- McKim contrasts cleaners, nurses and bartenders paying double the tax on equal amounts compared to property investors profiting from flips.