Your say: week beginning March 23

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.

Price shocks in remote Australia

“Saman Gorji rightfully draws attention to the vulnerability of remote Aboriginal communities to supply chain issues – currently diesel fuel costs. In a previous life, from 2003–06 I worked on such remote communities in the western deserts of WA. Food was trucked out from Perth, some 2,000km away, arriving every two weeks. Fuel likewise, and in 2005, Aboriginal people were then paying close to $2.50 per litre at the roadhouse bowser. They also paid a premium on groceries, clothes and other items sold at community stores. So, while we are paying more for our food, fuel and power, let’s spare a thought for our remote, vulnerable and often hidden First Nations people – I shudder to think what the 2026 bowser fuel price currently is, out in those western desert communities.”

Scott Bell, TAS

Is negative gearing a hard sell?

“This excerpt from Michelle Grattan’s article on the budget is, I believe, misleading: ‘Some government sources point out [changes to negative gearing] would be harder to sell than the capital gains tax change because, although a relatively small number of people negatively gear (1.1 million taxpayers negatively geared properties on the latest available figures), there is a public perception it is widespread and many people aspire to buy investment properties.’ The excerpt conflates the number of people who use negative gearing with the number of investment properties that are negative-geared, implying a one-to-one relationship. In fact 25% of investment properties are owned by 1% of taxpayers.”

Zahro Muladawilah