Social Trends – Page 6 – Digital Finance Analytics (DFA) Blog

Controlled! Shut Up, Say Nothing: Obey….

Well now we have next bit of the controlling infrastructure being put in place to control free speech, and perhaps even what we think! The Orwellian nightmare with severe consequences for freedom of expression is being rolled out for all to see.

I have already talked about the dystopian future being drip fed on society, with the removal of cash so financial tractions can be monitored, the introduction of a non-mandatory but effectively mandatory of a digital ID, and of course there is the move to restrict youngsters access to socials.

But now we have the next piece of the puzzle, as Today in Canberra, Minister Rowland tabled the Labour Government’s latest version of the “Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill”.

This bill defines ‘serious harm’ as:
(a) harm to the operation or integrity of a Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government electoral or referendum process; or
(b) harm to public health in Australia, including to the efficacy of preventative health measures in Australia; or
(c) vilification of a group in Australian society distinguished by race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, disability, nationality or national or ethnic origin, or vilification of an individual because of a belief that the individual is a member of such a group; or
(d) intentionally inflicted physical injury to an individual in Australia; or
(e) imminent:
(i) damage to critical infrastructure; or
(ii) disruption of emergency services; in Australia; or
(f) imminent harm to the Australian economy, including harm to public confidence in the banking system or financial markets; that has:
(g) significant and far-reaching consequences for the Australian community or a segment of the Australian community; or
(h) severe consequences for an individual in Australia
If the platforms do not silence the above content, they could be slapped with a range of penalties, including a maximum fine of 5 per cent of their global revenue. That’s a very big stick which will undoubtedly result in algorithms which silence a large amount of factual content.

Frankly, in the light of this, my ability to analyse and yes criticise Government Policy, Monetary Policy or even economic analysis more generally could be caught in the draconian umbrella. Even reporting on financial pressures on households could be caught. My voice would be silenced online and the government talking points would continue to spread unchallenged.

Then just add the Central Bank Digital Currency into the mix, the total control by Government is complete. This is anti-democratic nonsense and needs to be stopped. Before its too late, if its not already!

http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Solve The Housing Crisis By Building Smaller, Darker, Higher Homes?

Housing affordability is one of the biggest pressures facing the Australian community and the Government has committed to building 1.2 million new, quote well-located homes across Australia by mid-2029. This is all but impossible, on current trends, and of course housing pressures have been exacerbated by super-high migration.

The NSW Productivity and Equality Commission just released a report: Review of housing supply challenges and policy options for New South Wales.

In summary, New South Wales needs to build 377,000 homes by mid-2029 under its housing targets. The Productivity and Equality Commission recommends Higher-density zones around train stations would double in size and extend further into Sydney’s eastern suburbs and north shore. They are recommending design standards be relaxed to allow the construction of smaller apartments without access to parking, storage or direct sunlight. They say government spending priorities would shift from infrastructure projects like new metros and motorways, to projects that support rapid housing supply. And there would be more migration opportunities for construction workers, to address a critical skills shortage.

Even then I suspect targets wont be met. But to me, by not talking about the demand side of the equation – driven by too high migration they are missing the elephant in the room. As a result, they are proposing we build higher, smaller darker homes – as high-rise living is forced more widely on the population. This risks further degrading the standards of living for many. True while some may be willing to pay less to get anything to live in, the trade-off and compromises are enormous.

http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

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Is Property Springing Into Life, Or Catching A Cold?

Whilst data should be immutable, interpretation of said data can be tweaked and turned, to spin a particular story. As we have seen in the press this past week. Take, for example auction clearance results.

The preliminary auction clearance rates for this past weekend in the biggest markets of Sydney and Melbourne came out tracking nationally at 71.4 per cent of homes listed for auction based on CoreLogic data. Sydney’s clearance rate was 74.9 per cent and Melbourne’s 68.7 per cent, more or less in line with the previous week. Among the smaller capitals, Adelaide led the way with a clearance rate at 79.5 per cent, followed by Brisbane at 67.3 per cent and Canberra at 56.5 per cent, according to CoreLogic data. But these are on very low counts, so again not that meaningful.

Domain on the other hand reported a Sydney clearance of 67.8% up from 64.2% last week, and below the 68.7% from a year ago. Melbourne was at 62.4% compared with 59.6% last week, and 61.9% a year back. The national number was 63.5%, a significant divergence from CoreLogic’s higher 71.4%.

There are a few points worth making here. The final numbers tend to settle lower, because agents are always keen to promote successful sales, while those passed in are either never reported, or reported later. Some properties are withdrawn before auction, either because they are sold prior, or because the vendor changes tack. As such auction clearance rates do not tell us much at all.

Of course, the spring selling season is now ramping up, and about 2300 auctions are scheduled in the coming week, compared with around 2,000 this past couple of weeks. And listings are rising as vendors decide to sell or are forced to sell. We will chat about this again on Mondays Rant with Edwin. But we do continue to see a spate of ex-investment properties listing, especially in Melbourne, as I reported recently, and the trend is widening.

The bottom line of course is potential buyers should be careful what they purchase, especially as price growth ahead is not assured, especially if the weaker demand for iron ore puts the economy into recession. And prospective sellers would do well to select their agents carefully, as some are still pushing the auction route, one which does not necessarily guarantee a better net sale price, but which does guarantee more income for agents via their additional marketing and auction fees. Just saying!

http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/