Housing

Campbell argued that the housing supply problem had been developing for 40 years, not just since the current government took office. Campbell highlighted that 230,000 Australians had purchased their first home using the five per cent deposit scheme and noted that 55,000 social and affordable homes were being delivered through the Housing Australia Future Fund. Campbell stated that new home starts had increased by 11.6 per cent and that 570,000 homes had been built since the election, countering claims of inaction.

Rebello supported the motion, emphasising that the expansion of the five per cent deposit scheme had supercharged house prices while interest rates rose to 4.1 per cent. Rebello cited evidence from the Joint Standing Committee on Migration indicating that the Department of Home Affairs had not modelled the impact of migration numbers on housing infrastructure. Rebello argued that the lack of alignment between migration policy and housing capacity was deepening the crisis for young people and families in his constituency.

Jarrett described the housing crisis as a long-standing issue requiring a multi-level government response, noting that the previous coalition government had built only 373 social and affordable homes in nine years. Jarrett outlined the government's $43 billion agenda, which included completing over 5,000 social and affordable homes and supporting more than 180,000 first home buyers through the five per cent deposit scheme. Jarrett emphasised that new housing commencements had risen by 17 per cent and that the government was committed to building 1.2 million homes by 2029.

Penfold argued that the five per cent deposit scheme artificially inflated demand without addressing supply constraints, risking higher debt levels for buyers. Penfold advocated for a $5 billion housing infrastructure program to unlock stalled greenfield sites and criticised the government's consideration of changes to the capital gains tax discount, warning it would reduce rental supply. Penfold stated that taxes and fees constituted up to 50 per cent of new home prices and that the government needed to support private investment and regional infrastructure instead.

Fernando defended the Housing Australia Future Fund, noting that 895 completed homes was more than double the output of the previous government over a decade. Fernando accused the opposition of blocking key housing measures, including the fund, the five per cent deposit scheme, and Help to Buy. Fernando highlighted the government's commitment to building 1.2 million homes by July 2029 and investing over $43 billion to achieve this target through planning reforms and increased construction.

Willcox characterised the five per cent deposit scheme as a trap that exposed young buyers to high leverage and interest rate risks, drawing parallels to the 2008 financial crisis. Willcox criticised the Housing Australia Future Fund for its slow delivery rate and argued that the government was failing to meet its National Housing Accord target. Willcox contended that proposed tax changes were a distraction from the government's failure to boost construction and manage population growth effectively.

Miller-Frost attributed the housing affordability crisis to policies from the Howard government era and highlighted that the average age of first home buyers had risen from 30 to 37. Miller-Frost noted that the current government had overseen the construction of 570,000 new homes and was on track to deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes. Miller-Frost argued that the coalition had no housing targets during their time in government and that the current plan was delivering tangible results in construction and affordability.

Chaney agreed that the five per cent deposit scheme added pressure to the market and that the Housing Australia Future Fund was delivering too slowly. Chaney proposed four practical measures: prioritising construction trades in migration, sequencing residential construction ahead of lower-value infrastructure, transitioning from stamp duty to land tax, and implementing a vacant-home levy. Chaney argued that these steps would activate existing housing stock and address labour shortages without relying solely on new builds.