Your say: week beginning August 18

Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au

Monday August 18

Lazy tax

“The idea of taxing the family home is an intellectually lazy and naive idea, especially if we want to raise taxes. As Ross Gittins has said, we extract more money from university students than we do from petroleum rent taxes or gas export levies. There is a need for balance between development and stability for families who have struggled to buy a home. Negative gearing beyond the family home should be taxed accordingly.”

Gerry White

It’s not just the US, it’s us

“Regarding Australia’s changing relationship with the US, it’s not so much the fact that the US is changing, but more the failure of successive Australian governments to stay ahead of the game when it comes to making relevant foreign policy. Do we want to be like the British, the Americans and the Europeans who are interested only in military containment of Russia and China, or do we want a peaceful existence built on diplomacy and trade?”

Tom Filipcevic

Why are we obsessed with highways?

“Great article on Australia’s highway obsession. It’s much better for governments to focus on mass transport with more rail and metro lines not only from outer suburbs into city centres but also radially across suburbs which can then connect. This would move more people at costs much less than highways over the longer term.”

Joe Phillips