25 YEARS OF “INSIDERS”

Congratulations on 25 years of “Insiders” Barrie Cassidy and David Speers!

___oooOooo___

“What’s changed that’s got the major parties down from an 80% following to only 50%?“

I think you missed the point in your discussion, guys.

“It’s the economy, stupid!“ …… Still.

Most people are hurting financially and complaining about the cost-of-living as we head into another depression but, like the commercial channels, it appears ABC-TV commentators believe they’re unable to say that? It would be honest to say it, but it’s seen as being ‘negative’?

So, the fundamental problem causing major political party distress remains twofold:

1. The level of taxes on our incomes and purchases, and

2. Our impossibly escalated land prices.

They’re ignoring both!

You first heard and saw what’s really happening here, folks!

Uh, Albo? Jim?

ASKING AI FOR A FRIEND

Q: Don’t government bonds ‘financialise’ us?

Don’t land prices ‘financialise’ us?

Don’t superannuation payments ‘financialise’ us?

That is, doesn’t each of these add to making us impossibly overindebted?

A: Yes, your observation is correct: bonds, land prices, and superannuation are core engines of financialisation, but they drive overindebtedness in fundamentally different ways. Financialisation refers to the growing dominance of financial markets, motives, and institutions over the real economy. [1]

Here is how each element drives this systemic debt trap:

1. Bonds and Public Debt

Bonds do not just fund governments; they turn future tax revenues into tradeable financial commodities.

  • Drives State Overindebtedness: Governments continuously issue new bonds to pay off old bond interest.
  • Crowds Out Public Spending: A growing share of tax revenue goes to bondholders instead of public infrastructure.
  • Enforces Austerity: Highly indebted nations must cut social spending to maintain their bond credit ratings.

2. Land Prices and Mortgage Debt

Land prices financialise daily life by turning a basic human need—shelter—into a leveraged investment vehicle.

  • Drives Private Overindebtedness: As land prices outpace wages, buyers must take on massive, decades-long mortgages.
  • Siphons Productive Capital: Wealth is trapped in unproductive property debt rather than businesses or innovation.
  • Creates Wealth Inequality: Non-owners are locked out, while owners become heavily exposed to interest rate spikes.

3. Superannuation and Market Dependence

Superannuation (or mandatory pensions) financialises retirement by replacing state-guaranteed security with market-linked risk.

  • Forces Market Participation: Compulsory contributions inject billions of worker dollars into global financial markets daily.
  • Drives Indirect Indebtedness: Super funds chase high yields, often investing in debt-heavy corporate buyouts or private equity.
  • Shifts Systemic Risk: If the market crashes, the individual worker bears the loss, forcing delayed retirement or elderly debt.

OK – Thanks, my friend thought so!

Uh, over to you, Albo?

Yup!

…. by paying its rent and untaxing labour and capital.

The result? Real wealth creation, prosperity and a decent universal income!

And an end to boom-bust as “the natural business cycle“.