Interview with Politics Now on Sky News

Subjects: Build to Rent tax concessions, Housing Policy, Matt Kean

E&OE………

Tom Connell

Shadow Assistant Minister for Housing and Home Ownership. Have I got that right?

Senator Bragg

G'day.

Tom Connell

Is that a yes?

Senator Bragg

Sounds good to me.

Tom Connell

Sounds good?

Senator Bragg

Sure.

Tom Connell

Sounds like I was close.

Trudy McIntosh

You really stress the assistant, though.

Tom Connell

Being polite. Okay, so you're opposing this. Do you have a particular issue with foreign investment? Isn't anyone that wants to build houses for Australia to rent in? Isn't that fine?

Senator Bragg

We want the focus to be on people, not on institutions, and the problem with Labor's housing policy is they're obsessed with big super funds and also foreign fund managers building more houses. And this renting model, I think, would fundamentally change the character of Australian housing, so we want to put people at the focus of our policy formulation.

Tom Connell

So rental rates in Australia, they've never been zero, they're never going to be. I think even the highest ownership we got to was 60 or 70%. So there's a big proportion who are going to rent always. What is your party offering for renters?

Senator Bragg

Well, we're offering more houses being built with more successful policy. Now, Labor's got two policies on supply, the HAFF, but also the housing targets, and both have been a disaster. So you've got to find a more effective way to get the houses built. You've got to be a party that supports supply and development, and you've got to help first home buyers into houses. Our policy on the table on super, I think, is the only policy that really would be effective.

Tom Connell

But that's about buying.

Senator Bragg

That's on the demand side.

Tom Connell

What's the message for renters? Is it the old get a better job?

Senator Bragg

No, there's still going to be a role for renting, but we want to see the focus on home ownership. I think our critique of Labor's housing plan is that it gives up on home ownership. They're not even trying.

Tom Connell

So I understand you want to make home ownership more achievable, but I'm just asking for renters, is there anything specific or you don't want to-

Senator Bragg

We haven't announced all our policies yet, but we've already got two policies on the table which I think would be more effective than all of Labor's supply and demand policies. I remind you again that Labor's only got one policy on the demand side, which is Help to Buy, which is a friendless scheme, which is also stalled in the Senate.

Andrew Clennell

I'm told there's a big housing policy you've got that that's in the locker.

Senator Bragg

Well, it's not for me to announce.

Andrew Clennell

Yeah. Would it be more next year, if the election's next year, or will we see it sooner?

Senator Bragg

Well, I think you know that's above my pay grade. But, I mean, obviously, this-

Andrew Clennell

You might have heard, though.

Senator Bragg

Well, I mean, there is already two good policies out there, one's to reduce foreign demand for Australian housing and migration changes, plus the super policy, and there'll be a lot more.

Trudy McIntosh

Can I ask you back, though, if I'm just looking to rent, I can't get into the housing market to buy. Do I really care if the person who built the apartment was a foreign investor? To me, that wouldn't matter as a renter. They just want to be able to find a place to rent.

Senator Bragg

But I think we haven't even exhausted the Australian avenues, and my critique of the two supply policies is that the HAFF is a $10 billion fund which hasn't even built any houses yet, and the housing targets themselves have already failed. So I think they've got to try and find a way to work with the States and the local governments to actually get the houses built.

Trudy McIntosh

But they say they're trying with these policies that keep being blocked in the Senate. There's two examples where you just listed that are being stopped by you, and the strange alliance with the Greens.

Senator Bragg

Even what they say today about the support for their policy, the Property Council said that this bill is a complete dog anyway. So I just think on housing, they're in a really bad position of their own making.

Kieran Gilbert

Is it inconsistent to say you want superannuation, individual super accounts to fund someone buying a home, but you don't support super funds being involved in build to rent. Isn't that an inconsistency?

Senator Bragg

No, because we want people to own houses, not super funds. The problem with Labor's plan is that your super can invest in any house except for your own. And for a lot of millennials, in particular, who have decent-sized balances, that might be their best pool of capital if they haven't got the benefit of access to the bank of Mum and Dad, so I think it's a cruel and unusual policy to ban people who have enough money to make a material addition to their own prospective home deposit.

Andrew Clennell

Is your old mate in the moderates, Matt Kean, a traitor for taking a job with this Government?

Senator Bragg

Look, I'm not a spokesman for Matt. He's free to do whatever he wants to do.

Trudy McIntosh

Would you support his decision to go-

Senator Bragg

I'm not his spokesperson. He's a free agent. He can do whatever he wants to do.

Andrew Clennell

Did you look at it and think, Why have you done that?

Senator Bragg

No, I mean, he's able to do whatever he wants to do. It's his life.

Tom Connell

What's your view on it? What do you think?

Senator Bragg

If he wants to make a contribution to public service, then that's a matter for him. I'm not commenting on his decision to do things or not do things.

Trudy McIntosh

Is he providing cover, though, for the Albanese government? They can say it's bipartisan, our approach. We've got a leading Liberal leading one of our climate-

Senator Bragg

His job is to be a public servant, not to be a commentator on politics.

Trudy McIntosh

You don't think he'll have any commentary?

Senator Bragg

But that's his job. It's to be a public servant now.

Trudy McIntosh

But to provide advice as well, very critical advice on the 2035 target before the end of the year, I believe.

Senator Bragg

Well, I mean, let's see. He hasn't started the job.

Tom Connell

A few of your colleagues, though, have had a crack him and you're electing him.

Senator Bragg

Well, I'm not doing it. Okay.

Andrew Clennell

Do you regard him as a friend?

Senator Bragg

Yeah, but I'm not having a crack at anyone here. I mean, these things are not about personal enmities or whatever. This is about someone wanting to do a job that he wants to do, that he's been offered. I think it's a free country. People can do what they want to do.

Trudy McIntosh

Would you prefer to have seen him run for a Federal seat, potentially Bradfield?

Senator Bragg

I'm not supporting anyone trying to attack any of my colleagues here in Canberra.

Tom Connell

You're knocking Paul Fletcher off there. I'm just wondering if he wants his friend to be in public service still.

Senator Bragg

Well, he's doing that.

Kieran Gilbert

The Peacemaker. I like it.

Tom Connell

We'll end it there. Thank you.

[Ends]

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