Housing

Brown defended the government's housing agenda, stating that reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax were necessary to address long-standing inequities. Brown highlighted Treasury modelling indicating that 75,000 more Australians would move from renting to owning homes due to these changes. Brown outlined specific commitments, including a national target of 1.2 million new homes, 55,000 social and affordable rentals, and $2 billion in infrastructure funding to unlock 65,000 additional homes.

Antic cited a 15 per cent downturn in National Australia Bank home loans and falling clearance rates in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane as evidence of damaged market confidence. Antic argued that regulatory burdens, including energy ratings and development approvals, were hindering construction and contributing to high costs for Australians. Antic maintained that the solution lay in reducing inflation, lowering interest rates, and cutting taxes rather than implementing policies that Antic claimed were crashing the economy.

Cox shifted focus to broader economic indicators, referencing a positive S&P Global report on Australia's AAA sovereign credit rating and fuel security. Cox highlighted government achievements in securing wage rises for aged-care nurses and investing in Medicare to provide free GP visits. Cox argued that the government was actively working to reduce cost-of-living pressures and support workers, contrasting this with the opposition's lack of substantive economic policy.

Cadell referenced an ANZ prediction of a 10.6 per cent peak-to-trough drop in housing values, equating this to a loss of $1.3 trillion in national wealth or approximately $48,000 per person. Cadell argued that such a decline would leave first-home buyers with negative equity if property values fell more than their deposit. Cadell contended that the government was stripping wealth from retirees and failing to manage the economy, leading to significant rent increases and financial insecurity.