Interview with Natalie Barr, Sunrise

16 October 2024

NATALIE BARR: The PM has faced criticism for the purchase, which comes months out from an election campaign where the cost of living and housing crisis will be in focus for their take. Let's bring in Housing Minister Claire O'Neill and Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume. Good morning. Clare, this is about optics, we know politics is. You're the Housing Minister. You know how bad the housing crisis is, what do you make of this?

CLARE O'NEIL: The PM addressed this really extensively yesterday, Nat, and I think we all understand and acknowledge that he's entitled to have a personal life and to purchase property, as he needs to do. He's about to embark on a new life with his incredible fiance, and I know we wish him all the best in that. I think the big picture here is that this man leads an Australian government that is more bold and ambitious on addressing the housing needs of Australians than we've had in many decades. I was with the PM yesterday announcing 1100 new houses that we're going to be building in South East Queensland, and this is a consistent drumbeat of the government stepping in to try to help Australians with what is a problem that's affecting millions of their lives. While we have Jane and her colleagues saying they're going to cut funding to housing, cut our national targets, and the Greens trying to block everything we do. So I understand the interest in this, but the really big picture here is that we're trying to address this housing issue that confronts millions of people across our country.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah, which we obviously talk about a lot, but is this cliff top mansion going to push him off the cliff politically?

CLARE O'NEIL: Again, I think the PM addressed these issues yesterday. You know, he's the Prime Minister, but he's also a human being who's about to embark on a new marriage, and he's entitled to purchase property. And to be honest, I'm interested to hear what Jane thinks, but I don't think any of the Liberals will disagree with that. These are personal matters for the PM. My focus is on the housing needs of ordinary people out there, and our incredibly bold and ambitious plan to get those housing needs addressed.

NATALIE BARR: Jane, Peter Dutton we know has a large portfolio of investment properties. Does every Australian, should they be able to do this? You're the party of aspiration. You obviously don't have a problem.

JANE HUME: Well I think I do have a problem with the timing, and I do have a problem with the fact that this is very tone deaf during the housing crisis. It's unfortunate that Clare as the Housing Minister, is the one that's been sent out to clean up this mess. She's right in saying that everybody has a right to a personal life. There's no doubt about that, and the Prime Minister has every right to make plans for his retirement. But I think that there's plenty of Australians and probably some of his colleagues now that would like to see that happen sooner rather than later.

NATALIE BARR: So it's the timing. Clare, is this Albo's Hawaii holiday moment? It's the timing that people are talking about today.

CLARE O'NEIL: Nat he's a human being who's about to embark on a new life with this incredible woman who lives on the central coast of New South Wales, and he's entitled to make property purchase just like you are Nat, just like you are Jane, just like I am. The important thing here is that we've got really significant housing issues in our country. And what I don't want to lose sight of here is the fact that our government is the most bold and ambitious that we've had on housing for a generation in this country. For a long time, Australian Governments have sat back and said ‘we're not going to intervene in a housing market that isn't working for millions of people’ and our government is changing that.

JANE HUME: Clare, you've failed on every metric. We've said that over again, there are fewer housing approvals, there are fewer housing constructions, there are fewer first home buyers. It's good to see that the Prime Minister, though, is getting out there and doing his bit for the housing stats.

NATALIE BARR: Okay, moving on. Now, have you ever tried to cancel a subscription, but it's just so hard you actually gave up? Well, the Government is set to introduce new laws cracking down on businesses who make it hard, really, really hard to escape those ongoing fees. It comes a day after the PM announced a similar crackdown on debit card surcharges. Clare, I can see people clapping their hands on this one. Is it enough to fight cost of living though?

CLARE O'NEIL: Oh, well Nat. I mean, obviously this is important. I mean, these sort of charges and these sort of irritations are the sting in the tail of every single transaction that we're making, whether it's buying a coffee or getting your car cleaned or all those other things that people do. The important thing is that this goes alongside those really substantial things that the Government's been able to do. Remember, the tax cuts for every single Australian taxpayer, the cheaper medicines, those increases to bulk billing payments, the support with childcare, the energy relief that's gone to every household. What I want people at home to understand is that we absolutely get that times are really tough. At the moment, it is really hard making ends meet, and every single day, the government is trying to look at different ways that we can support you to pay your bills.

NATALIE BARR: Jane, this sounds like it's a step in the right direction.

JANE HUME: It is. It was a step in the right direction that the RBA were, in fact, already doing so. It's an announcement for a plan to build a plan that won't actually kick in until 2026. It's only 70 days till Christmas. The cost of living crisis is now. It's taken the Government two and a half years just to get here. People need relief this Christmas, not Christmas in 2026.

NATALIE BARR: Maybe you could try and bring it in earlier Clare?

CLARE O'NEIL: Well, we'll move as quickly as we can. And if I can say, very respectfully to Jane, it's a little bit disappointing to see this sort of snitching about things the government is trying to do almost everything that I just listed off there in terms of cost and relief, cost of relief to Australian households, Jane and her colleagues have come into the parliament and opposed. Now what I want you to see is what a Labor government here fiercely focused on cost of living, relief on housing, relieving housing pressures for Australians, while Jane and her colleagues are kind of busy playing politics and trying to stop us doing pretty logical things to help people.

JANE HUME: Clare two years in and Australians are poorer under Labor, their standard of living, has gone backwards about 8.7% in two years alone. So you're not doing enough.

NATALIE BARR: How about this? Mama Mia, Melbourne, the city could be one step closer to seeing this on stage. Lord Mayor candidate Arron Wood is promising to bring ABBA Voyage to Melbourne if he gets into office. He's pledged 10 million from ratepayers to bring the virtual 3D concert to the city. Jane, you're from Melbourne. What do you reckon?

JANE HUME: I think this is a terrific idea. I have, in fact, been to this concert, and it is so good. I was in the mosh pit.

NATALIE BARR: You were in the mosh pit?

JANE HUME: The ABBA hologram mosh pit, and it was such a fun night. So I would love to see this come to Melbourne.

NATALIE BARR: Go girl, wow. Huge ABBA fan here. Clare, what about you?

JANE HUME: It’s so uncool.

CLARE O’NEIL: Look, guys, can we do better than ABBA? I mean, I love a cheesy dance floor moment, but is ABBA really the best we can do. I heard Charlie XCX are coming to Melbourne for the Laneway Festival. So there's a lot going here guys…

JANE HUME: Who? Who?

CLARE O’NEIL: Come to Melbourne, it's the greatest, the greatest part of Victoria.

NATALIE BARR: Look at you two. Okay, it’s the cool and the uncool. We'll let the viewers decide. Shall we? Thank you very much. See you next week.