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Hype over substance: Productivity talk-fest skips the real problems.
All dressed up with nowhere real to go: Canberra’s Productivity Roundtable had the hype—and not much to show—while population growth (demand side) steamrolls on with zero intervention.
Have you noticed the recent government postulation about “cutting red tape”? This talking point drips with cognitive dissonance—because they're the ones weaving the tape in the first place.
They're promising to "slash the regulation"—but in reality, the pile of new rules keeps growing. In its first term alone, the Albanese government introduced over 5,000 new regulations across health, aged care, climate, infrastructure, and more.
Welcome to the Productivity Roundtable
Three days of tidy bullet points and handshake optics about growth, while the real pressures—mass migration, housing gridlock, and capital shortages—waited outside, hands in pockets, hoping for a chance to be heard.
Instead, the agenda was filled with ambitious talk of streamlined approvals, AI regulation, and red-tape cuts. But critics quickly pointed out what was missing entirely: any real conversation about immigration and its impact on productivity and infrastructure. Raise that, and you risk being buried under a wave of political correctness.
At the end of it all? It was all PR, no progress—busy chasing optics, not reform. For real change, we’ll need some structural guts, real actions that make a difference, not more spin.
Are We Still Paying for the Government’s COVID Spending?
Australia isn’t immune to the economic lesson—if the government spends more than it collects, someone’s left footing the bill.
Since the end of COVID, government spending surged—adding nearly $19 billion more in 2023–24 than during the pandemic peak—fuelling inflation while eroding living standards.
Higher inflation shrinks your wallet. In real terms, disposable incomes have fallen by almost 10%, while household debts (mortgages/living expenses) remain high. Real wages (growth) haven’t kept pace, with Australians still earning 4.8% less than they did pre-pandemic.
Meanwhile, high immigration has ramped up housing demand without the commensurate supply side boost.
Is this a deliberate strategy to help ease the government’s fiscal burden?
More population means more nominal income, more collection points through taxation—even if wages stagnate and house prices continue to rise.
The bottom line: the government spends, inflation inflates, you pay more for less, and the system is fed by pumping in more people—not through real structural reform or supply-side fixes.
🤗 Howdy Readers
In this newsletter, you'll find:
📬️ Post 1 - Ever feel like your mortgage is swallowing half your paycheck before you’ve even finished your coffee?
The 2025 State of the Housing System report reveals just how stretched households have become—home buyers are now using nearly 50% of their income on mortgage repayments, while renters spend about one-third of theirs on rent.
With only 177,000 new homes built in 2024 against a need for 223,000, competition for both buying and renting remains fierce. And looking ahead? The outlook doesn’t improve much—Australia is whistling past the National Housing Accord target, facing a projected shortfall of nearly 79,000 homes by 2029.
👉 Click to learn more—and get grounded in what the report really means for your wallet, your renovation plan, or your next housing move.
Anthony Painter
📬️ Post 2 - Ever wondered if your smartwatch knows you're a bit off before you even do?
In this latest instalment of the series (post 3 of 6), we invite you into 2025—a world where your phone, car, and even your IOT home are quietly building emotional snapshots of you as you move, speak, and even breathe.
AI now profiles on autopilot: no surveys or quizzes—just data signals feeding algorithms that predict how you feel.
In this post, we take you through the evolution of profiling—from early psychometrics to today’s always-on emotional surveillance—and explain why this shift deserves your full attention.
👉 Want a deeper dive into how your daily devices are profiling you in real time (and what you can do about it)?
Anthony Painter
💾 Software of the Week: 🍄 OkrStool
(This isn’t a sponsored post—we've recently come across and thought we’d share it with you.)
Ever wish there was a faster way to keep your whole team focused on the right things—with far less fuss?
What it is & what it does:
OKRs Tool is a lightweight, AI‑powered platform for setting and tracking Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)—a goal‑setting method that helps teams stay aligned and accountable without relying on spreadsheets or endless meetings.
Why it matters:
It solves the common struggle of drifting priorities and unclear roles. By making goals visible and progress real‑time, teams know exactly what they—and everyone else—are working toward.
How it helps you:
- Hands‑off time savings: Smart AI recommends OKRs and spares you from writing plans from scratch.
- Better alignment, less noise: Everyone sees where their work fits into the bigger picture—and who owns what.
- Fast check‑ins, not meetings: Weekly updates and a dashboard fill you in without filling your calendar.
Who it’s great for:
Startups and small teams (up to 10 users for free, scaling beyond with a flat $30/month), especially those looking to ditch clunky enterprise tools and stay agile.
Tech needs, explained simply:
Works online in your browser—so no downloads or clever IT skills required. Free for small teams, with affordable scaling options as you grow.
Why we like it:
It turns goal-setting from a pain in the bung hole to a streamlined pocess—smart, simple, and built for teams to get ahead from day one.
👉 Click to learn more—it’s easier than setting up spreadsheet chaos.
🎧️ Music of the week
"PLAYLUNCH - Real Estate Apps feat. Aunty Donna" - 2025
Can't see the video embed below? Click here. to watch on Youtube.
✅ Our Quality Checklists
Anthony Painter
C14 Tile Design & Installation Checklist recently added to the list 09-08-2025
Please note: You’ll need to be a member and to log in to access the content.
📜 Reader Survey: Should all builders display a quality rating score?
Tell us what you think. Can't see the embed below? Click here to open it (opens builder quality score rating survey)
