Australians think young people are the victims of intergenerational bastardry, with three-quarters believing their financial hardship begins with the property market and many arguing governments need to do more to make it easier for them to buy a home. People crowd the auction for a suburban home as young people battle to find affordable housing. Credit:Last year former Treasury secretary Ken Henry accused governments of all persuasions of forcing young people to pay ever-increasing levels of personal income tax to cover benefits that flowed to older generations, saying they had all engaged in “wilful acts of bastardry”. Home ownership was a particular problem, with median house prices outpacing wage growth for the past three decades. Every Australian capital is ranked among the world’s 20 most expensive cities.