Housing

Jordan-Baird highlighted the high uptake of the five per cent deposit scheme in her electorate, with 3,119 residents purchasing their first home. Jordan-Baird argued that the previous Coalition government had neglected housing, leaving young Australians unable to plan for the future. Jordan-Baird emphasised the government's commitment to infrastructure, including a $1 billion upgrade to the Western Freeway and $300 million for the Calder Park Drive Interchange, to support housing growth in Melbourne's western suburbs.

Willcox argued that the housing crisis had intensified under Labor, with entry-level homes becoming 70 per cent more expensive over five years. Willcox contended that the five per cent deposit scheme fuelled demand and inflated prices without addressing the supply-demand imbalance, potentially locking buyers into mortgage stress. Willcox warned that reducing capital gains tax discounts would discourage investors from selling, further restricting supply, and called for urgent measures to cut red tape and manage migration levels to ease pressure on housing.

Clutterham shared her personal experience of saving for a 20 per cent deposit to illustrate the difficulty of entering the market today. Clutterham argued that the government's $45 billion plan, including the five per cent deposit scheme, was making homeownership accessible for those who could not afford large upfront costs. Clutterham noted that nearly 8,000 people in South Australia, including hundreds in Sturt, had used the scheme, and emphasised the importance of free TAFE for construction workers to boost housing supply.

Watson-Brown criticised both major parties for treating housing as a commodity, citing decades of underfunding for social housing and tax concessions for investors. Watson-Brown argued that the five per cent deposit scheme increased debt for first home buyers and drove up house prices, benefiting banks at the expense of taxpayers. Watson-Brown highlighted that the time required to save for a deposit had increased by almost a year over the previous 12 months and questioned the conflict of interest regarding a former policy adviser joining the Commonwealth Bank.

Ng presented data showing declining homeownership rates among young Australians, with ownership for 25- to 29-year-olds dropping from 43 per cent to 36 per cent between 2001 and 2021. Ng argued that the government's home guarantee scheme reduced the saving period from a decade to a couple of years, with 420 people in Menzies benefiting. Ng also highlighted increases in Commonwealth rent assistance and the delivery of social and affordable housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund and build-to-rent programs.

Chaney acknowledged that 220,000 Australians had used the five per cent deposit scheme but argued it did not solve the housing crisis by increasing supply. Chaney stated that the policy allowed buyers to borrow more, driving up prices and increasing debt burdens without creating new homes. Chaney called for bold reforms, including changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing, increased social housing construction, and zoning reforms to allow medium-density housing, as outlined in her Curtin housing policy.