Interview with Natalie Barr, Sunrise

18 September 2024

NATALIE BARR: The federal government's signature housing policies have once again hit a roadblock in the Senate, with both The Greens and the opposition refusing to vote on the bills. One of Labor's policies is the Help to Buy scheme which offers first home buyers access to cheaper deposits through a government shared equity contribution of up to 40%. Their other policy is the build to rent scheme, which aims to entice developers into building housing entirely for renting by offering tax concessions, but without support from another party in the Senate, there's no chance of either policy passing. For their take, let's bring in Housing Minister Clare O'Neill and Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume. Good morning to both. Clare, we'll go to you first. So The Greens housing spokesperson says the government has offered literally nothing during negotiations. They want 100% of stock built to be affordable and rent rises to be capped at about 2% every two years. This is your portfolio. Are you considering concessions to get through?

CLARE O'NEIL: Well, Nat, this is a really good policy, which will help 40,000 normal Australians, childcare workers, paramedics, cleaners around our country, get access to home ownership when they'd otherwise have no chance of doing so. Essentially, what we're doing is saying that the Australian Government will come in as like the Bank of Mum and Dad for these key workers and help them get their own home. Now if I went to your viewers today and asked them, what should the government be doing in the middle of a housing crisis, I reckon most of them would agree that this is exactly the kind of policy that we need to see, and yet what we have seen is the Liberals and The Greens work together in the Senate to prevent this bill from becoming Australian law. Now we all seem to agree that there's a housing crisis in this country and what I'm finding really frustrating is that people are putting politics first, second and third and I would just say to Jane, to her colleagues, to The Greens, to our Senators in this country, it's time to put politics to the side. We've got to make a difference to people who are struggling out there, and this is a really important part of the Labor government trying to do that.

NATALIE BARR: So Jane, why are you in cahoots, as my Nanna would say, with The Greens blocking this policy to help Aussies get a house?

JANE HUME: Well, in fact, the Coalition have been clear from the very beginning of this Parliament that we do not support this policy and it's important for your viewers to understand exactly what this policy does. Essentially, it allows the government to own a great big chunk of your home and Australians don't want that. They want to be able to own their own home. We know this because this policy replicates policies that exist already, in almost every single state, and they're not subscribed. People aren't signing up to it. In fact, in Clare's and my home state of Victoria, they're in fact shutting this policy down because nobody wants to be a part of it. It's going to cost $5.5 billion and nobody wants it.

NATALIE BARR: Clare, is that true?

CLARE O'NEIL: No, no, it's absolutely not true Nat and we've seen some of the state programs which look a little bit similar to this be wildly successful and what I would just say to Jane and her colleagues, very genuinely, if you are a childcare worker in this country, you have basically got Buckley's chance of being able to get into the housing market right now and nothing that Jane and her colleagues, nothing that The Greens have said, is going to change that. This policy will change that. This is 40,000 Australians who are struggling with housing right now, and we can help them get into home ownership. Now, it's not going to solve the entire crisis. Of course it's not. It's only one weapon in Labor's arsenal of things that we are doing to try to help Australians with, for millions of people, this is the biggest problem in their lives. We've got to put politics to the side and make some progress here.

NATALIE BARR: Jane, don't we start somewhere? Surely this is a starter. Are you just playing politics before the next election? Have you got a better idea?

JANE HUME: Not at all. In fact, there are two very successful first home ownership policies that are out there right now, and that includes the First Home Super Saver scheme and the First Home Guarantee, both of which were Coalition policies that Labor have adopted. And in fact, one in three new home buyers, first home buyers right now, are already using the home guarantee scheme. In fact, Anthony Albanese went out there yesterday and did a press conference spruiking that policy, which was a Coalition policy, it's already being used. The real problem here is supply. Why you can't negotiate with the States to open up more supply is beyond me. You have wall to wall Labor Governments across the mainland of Australia, except for the Northern Territory. It actually is a demonstration of the lack of respect that the Premiers have for this Prime Minister, that he can't negotiate with the governments, with the State Premiers to open up more supply, because that's the real issue here.

NATALIE BARR: Okay, there is an issue and shortage of tradies, cost of supplies. It's many pronged isn't it, this issue. Let's move on now. Peter Dutton has joined Tiktok and posted his very first video, take a look at this.

PETER DUTTON EXCERPT: I get it. There are more exciting things on Tiktok than listening to me talking about housing, but Labor's inability to balance migration and build enough homes is killing the Australian dream for an entire generation.

NATALIE BARR: Jane, do you think this is going to tear up Tiktok?

JANE HUME: Well, perhaps, if he had thrown in some dance moves with it, it might have been a little bit more appealing. But hey, you've got to go to where the people are. Peter Dutton has a message for young people here that we want them to get into the housing market. We don't want them to be renters all of their lives, and that's where the young Australians are. So that's where we speak to them.

NATALIE BARR: Are you on Tiktok Jane?

JANE HUME: No, I'm not yet, but I'm practicing my dance moves. I think I've got the rizz. I'm not even going to bother. It depends on the tolerance level, the level of humiliation that my kids will tolerate.

NATALIE BARR: Clare, you're no stranger to Tiktok. You're in on this I believe.

CLARE O'NEIL: No, I'm right into it. I'm post cringe, Nat. I'm right into Tiktok. I think it's really important. I just want Jane, really important for you. Can you please make sure that Peter Dutton promises there will be no Brat dancing of any kind, because I just can't take that. I just can't take that. One political video, maybe is fine, but yeah, we've got to draw the line somewhere, don't we?

NATALIE BARR: I think we've got some video of you. Clare, let's take a look.

CLARE O'NEIL (EXCERPT): Let's be absolutely direct about it. Cutting funding for housing in the middle of a housing crisis. You've got to be kidding me. But that's exactly what the Liberals say they're doing.

NATALIE BARR: See, you're really ripping it up aren’t you Clare?

JANE HUME: Rocking the high vis, girl.

CLARE O'NEIL: I love a bit of high vis. Yeah, I was wearing a hard hat.

NATALIE BARR: Are we going to be seeing dance moves before the election?

JANE HUME: Inevitably.

CLARE O'NEIL: Look Jane and I can't rule it out, can we?

NATALIE BARR: Okay, this will be a fun one before May. See you next week and maybe on the Tickertocker.