Interview with Kieran Gilbert on Sky News

Subjects: Housing Australia Future Fund failures, housing construction figures, super for housing

E&OE………

Kieran Gilbert

Welcome back to the program. Let's look at the housing issue now. Joining me is the Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership, Andrew Bragg. Senator Bragg, thanks for your time. Suggestions today - the government's nowhere near getting to that target of 30,000 homes under its Housing Australia Future Fund. They say there are thousands in the pipeline. They're waiting approvals. What's your reaction to this story? Do you have to cut them a bit of slack, given those planning hurdles that you've got to overcome? They've said within five years, so they've still got a couple of years to start hitting those benchmarks.

Senator Bragg

Kieran, good afternoon. The housing construction figures have collapsed under this government, and the fact that their own fund has not been successful, which is emblematic of the overall housing record. So you've seen a collapse in overall construction from 190,000 on average to 170,000 houses a year, on average. And, the Housing Australia Future Fund and Housing Australia have had 18 months of doing business already, and they haven't put a shovel on the ground or built a single house. So, I would have thought that 18 months will be long enough to build a single house.

Kieran Gilbert

The government, through the Minister, Clare O'Neil, has had a crack at you for your comments on this issue, saying you're the one who delayed the policy in the first place. This could have been up and going a year earlier.

Senator Bragg

It's been going since the end of 2023. So, that's 18 months. And so they've announced, including an announcement with the Prime Minister in September last year, 13,000 new houses. But they've only signed contracts for 800 of them, let alone putting a shovel into the ground. And the main contract that they've actually signed is with the super funds. So I think they're obsessed with trying to get the super funds to become Australia's corporate landlords, and they're not very good at actually building houses.

Kieran Gilbert

Do you have a policy or will you announce a policy when it comes to social and affordable housing?

Senator Bragg

Well, of course, the main thrust of our housing policy is to get more houses built overall, because most people don't live in social and affordable houses. So, that is the thrust of our policy with our $5 billion supply fund. And we have in the past, through NHFIC, which was a creation of the Liberal Party in the last government, have a program of supporting social and affordable housing. But, this very bureaucratic approach has been proven as a failure.

Kieran Gilbert

So, is it not your priority to have a social housing policy?

Senator Bragg

Of course, it's part of the mix. And historically, all governments have supported public housing in some form, and also social housing, which is different from public housing. So, there will be a program to support that. But at the end of the day, the Housing Australia Future Fund has not been successful. I mean, even 18 months and only a few contracts signed, I think, shows you that it's not the way to go. And look, a lot of the community housing providers are very upset because they've been pushed out of the way so Labor can shovel money to their mates, the super funds, who they want to become perpetual corporate landlords.

Kieran Gilbert

On your policy of super for first homes, have you got any further plans for the campaign? Will you bump up the amount that people can access out of their super?

Senator Bragg

The policy as it stands, Kieran, is $50,000. And for people who want if they're going to buy a first home, that will make a material difference in bridging the massive deposit cliff that younger people face. So the average 38-year-old has $90,000 in their super. So, they're able to take a portion of that or combine it with their partner. They will be able to bridge - largely - the deposit cliff in virtually every capital city.

Kieran Gilbert

So, no plan to increase that?

Senator Bragg

Look, the plan as it stands is $50,000. That was a plan from the last election. And that would make a material difference to people who wanted to buy their first house.

Kieran Gilbert

Okay, as it stands, sounds like there's a bit of wiggle room there, anyway. Andrew Bragg, we will wait to see for the campaign.

Senator Bragg

Thanks a lot.

Kieran Gilbert

Talk to you soon.

[Ends]

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