Michael Sukkar MP

Interview with Kieran Gilbert – Sky News Australia

THE HON MICHAEL SUKKAR MP – SHADOW MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, NDIS, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

TRANSCRIPT

INTERVIEW WITH KIERAN GILBERT, SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA

Tuesday, 30 May 2023

TOPIC: Housing

E&OE

Kieran Gilbert: The latest figures around dwelling approvals are out. They’re not good for the prospects of easing the housing crisis. Dwelling approvals for April fell to their lowest point in a decade. Joining me is the shadow housing minister, Michael Sukkar. Thanks for your time.

Michael Sukkar: Thanks Kieran.

Kieran Gilbert: Is the Coalition going to rethink its position on the Housing Future Fund, given the nature of the crisis?

Michael Sukkar: No, I think that today’s data, which is a disaster for the Government, shows us that they’ve got no agenda for housing when they simultaneously want to bring in 1.5 million people to Australia through our migration program over the next five years. We see dwelling approvals down. We see new starts down. We see investment into the building sector down by the Government’s own admissions. We saw in October the Government announced that they were going to commit to a million new homes. That’s already in tatters. They can’t meet that target less than 12 months later. So the government has no housing agenda.

Kieran Gilbert: That is the problem. The Coalition’s not backing it?

Michael Sukkar: Well, they are promising if everything works, if their Ponzi scheme works – which I think most people have great scepticism of – they promise to deliver 30,000 homes over five years. Now 1.5 million people cannot live in 30,000 homes. That’s what they’re promising to deliver. In fact, their agenda is so bare, Kieran, and embarrassingly the minister was out on the weekend spruiking the Coalition’s Home Guarantee Scheme as some kind of achievement of the Labor Government. They have nothing to talk about their Help to Buy Scheme which they announced before the election and was supposed to commence on the 1st January this year has not been spoken about. We’re nearly six months down the track, so their entire agenda is in tatters and sadly, Australians who want to buy a home are completely ignored. Australians who are renting are paying record rents and the housing disaster is just getting worse by the day and data like today proves it.

Kieran Gilbert: And it’s because of the rate rises, isn’t it? It’s a blunt instrument and we’re seeing the impact via those numbers today.

Michael Sukkar: But what we’re not seeing from the government is any steps to ensure that they address the issues that are being faced.

Kieran Gilbert: But ironically, isn’t this what the RBA wants to see? They want to see that sort of demand fall off a cliff essentially.

Michael Sukkar: Not necessarily in housing. I mean, during the pandemic we saw the risk of demand falling off very quickly. And what did we do when I was Housing Minister? we put in place the HomeBuilder program which ensured that we maintained supply and in fact we had record levels of supply. The Government has got to address the issues of the day. Now, you never hear this Government talking about first home buyers. They’re not interested in doing anything for first home buyers. We now see them planning to bring in 1.5 million people. Kieran, you cannot credibly say to the Australian people, we’re going to bring in 1.5 million people over five years with absolutely no plan to house them. And not only are things bad now, but they’re getting worse because the numbers are falling off a cliff and as we see today through the housing approval numbers.

Kieran Gilbert: Michael Sukkar, thanks. We’re a bit tight for time.

Michael Sukkar: Thanks Kieran.