NSW prison phone call costs made it hard for Chris to stay connected to his family. Advocates say they should be free

NSW prison phone call costs made it hard for Chris to stay connected to his family. Advocates say they should be free

Reform advocates argue call costs are prohibitive and risk isolating inmates further and leading to problems on release Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Figuring out the prison phone system was just one more thing Chris* had to do once he got locked up. “The [prison] officers don’t really help you at all,” he says. Continue reading...

Negative gearing on short-stay rentals costs Australia up to $556m a year, report estimates

Negative gearing on short-stay rentals costs Australia up to $556m a year, report estimates

Almost 170,000 homes are estimated to be operating as short-stay accommodation, which can still claim tax breaks Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tax breaks for investors using houses as short-stay accommodation could be costing Australian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars per year, according to a new report by Everybody’s Home. The short-stay subsidy report estimates that the budget could be losing between $111m and $556m in forgone revenue this financial year through negative gearing deductions claimed on short-stay rental properties. Continue reading...