The Australian government has done something interesting to reign in excessive foreign speculation in its property market, while simultaneously stoking its struggling junior resource sector, mired in the current commodities downturn.

Foreign investors in Australia can qualify for a significant investor visa (SIV) by betting A $5 million on Australia’s economy.

The SIV asset mix included government bonds and residential real estate. However, effective July 1, 40% of the $5 million will need to be bet on high-risk equity investments, such as those small cap ASX listed resource explorers.

This could see $3 billion a year in new capital come into Australia’s emerging and venture-stage companies.

See the Sydney Morning Herald story: Flood of foreign cash headed into small-cap stocks.

And just because...

Foreign investors are also driving up residential real-estate prices in Canada, while Canada's resource sector faces a myriad of troubles.

Last week, Alberta Oil Magazine's Vivian Krause published a long-form story on the American billionaires funnelling hundreds of millions into negative PR for Canadian natural resource projects, while ignoring resource development in their own back yard.

Read: Following the (primarily U.S.) money funding Canada’s anti-oil movement.

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