Alan Kohler reflects on the policies that shaped Australia over 31 years

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  Alan Kohler is leaving the ABC after 31 years, reflecting on policies and events he says reshaped Australia.

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  He argues that John Howard’s governments changed the country as profoundly as those of Paul Keating and Bob Hawke, but with less fanfare.

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  Kohler says Howard’s refusal to sign the 1997 Kyoto climate deal helped set Australia on a path of decades of political conflict and energy-policy paralysis.

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  He also says the 1999 capital gains tax discount, combined with negative gearing, helped drive a long rise in house prices.

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  Kohler says the removal of the capital gains tax discount in 2026 has contributed to falling house prices, alongside rising interest rates.

Who

Alan Kohler, a long-time ABC journalist and columnist, is reflecting on his career and the policies he covered.

What

Kohler says decisions made during the Howard era, including rejecting the Kyoto deal and changing capital gains tax, had lasting effects on Australia.

When

Kohler’s final ABC column was published on October 11, 2026. The events he discusses date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Where

Australia.

Why

Kohler says he wants to reflect on how earlier policies shaped present-day political conflict, energy policy and house prices.

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