by chitchatmedia | Apr 26, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Untangle care from control Two significant developments are converging in Australia’s ongoing debate about childcare: one in parliament, the other in the courts. Both raise questions not just about policy — but about fairness, freedom, and the evolving role of...
by chitchatmedia | Apr 26, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
One trillion dollars The Commonwealth government has recently announced its audacious plan: to build 1.2 million new homes across Australia by 2029. At face value, this sounds like a noble, ambitious attempt to solve the chronic housing shortage. But beneath the...
by chitchatmedia | Apr 26, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
A new federal tax plan could see Australians paying thousands of dollars in tax —even if they haven’t actually made any money. You can’t make this stuff up… The proposed law, called Division 296, would bring in an extra 15% tax on superannuation accounts with over $3...
by chitchatmedia | Apr 25, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Global markets recently took a hit after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new set of tariffs aimed at changing the way international trade works. The Dow Jones dropped 349 points, bond yields jumped, and Wall Street went through its third straight day of...
by chitchatmedia | Jan 6, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
The Risk of “Spread-The-Work” Schemes and Bureaucratic Bloat Australia’s GDP per capita—how much each person contributes to the economy—is consistently lower than other developed countries. In fact, it’s less than half of the GDP per capita of the top four countries...
by chitchatmedia | Jan 6, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
In this finance column, we continue exploring the book Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. So far, we’ve learned that the art of economics is about considering not only the immediate effects of policies but also their long-term consequences for everyone. Today,...
by chitchatmedia | Jan 6, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Let’s continue our series on Economics in One Lesson. In Chapters 5 and 6 of Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt explains how government spending and taxes affect the economy in ways that might not be obvious at first. Hazlitt’s ideas show that...
by chitchatmedia | Jan 6, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Have you ever wondered how much things cost back in the day compared to now? Let’s take a look at how the prices of everyday items and houses have changed in Australia over the past 50 years. The difference might surprise you! Groceries: Then vs. Now The year is 1975,...
by chitchatmedia | Jan 6, 2026 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Last month we explored the connection between finance, laws, and inflation. We examined two concepts: Henry Hazlitt’s “Economics In One Lesson,” which highlighted the need to consider the broader consequences of government policies, and the Hegelian Dialectic,...
by chitchatmedia | Dec 29, 2025 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Welcome back to the NEW Finance column in the Chitchat Newspaper. This column is brought about by a desire to enlighten and educate. Last Month we kicked off the new financial column, where I focused on two concepts that can be used as a framework to make smart...
by chitchatmedia | Nov 26, 2025 | John E Middleclass, News, Uncategorised
Why One Sunshine Coast Man’s Call for Government Seizure of Unused Land Misses the Mark—And Common Sense. A recent email highlighted an unusual petition presented to the Queensland Parliament, titled “Land, Use It or Lose It.” This petition, proposed by a man from the...
