Barnaby Joyce and Tanya Plibersek face off on Sunrise about Federal Election housing policies

Barnaby Joyce has blown up in a fiery exchange with Labor MP Tanya Plibersek and Natalie Barr, as the government and the opposition go head-to-head over housing policies.

Barnaby Joyce has blown up in an “embarrassing” fiery exchange with Labor MP Tanya Plibersek on Monday morning, as the government and the opposition go head-to-head over housing policies.

Sunrise host Natalie Barr said she “felt sorry for the people of Australia trying to figure out what on earth we are voting for on Saturday” after Mr Joyce and Ms Plibersek both failed to answer key questions on the housing policy.

It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in his official campaign launch on Sunday that first home buyers would be able to access a “sensible” part of their superannuation to secure their first home.

Ms Plibersek said “there is a reason John Howard, Peter Costello… and Malcolm Turnbull rejected this policy”.

But Mr Joyce said it was a better policy than the one Labor had put forward, where the government would pay 40 per cent of the house, provided prospective homebuyers met the income threshold.

Mr Joyce put to Ms Plibersek whether that was taxable or gross income, a question she could not answer and instead hit out at the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Joyce became increasingly frustrated by Ms Plibersek’s inability to answer.

“How do you not understand your own policy?” he asked.

Barnaby Joyce and Tanya Plibersek on Sunrise with Natalie Barr.

Ms Plibersek said she “felt embarrassed” that Mr Joyce “carries on like that”.

His comments came after Prime Minister Scott Morrison hit back at criticism that by accessing the scheme, young people would lose out on their super.

He said it would complement the government’s other policy, which incentives older Australians to downsize in order to open up more homes for young families - a policy the Labor party actually supports.

Labor does not support the super scheme.

“This is a balanced policy which is dealing... with increasing supply by supporting downsizing, getting more supply to the market and helping young Australians, but applies to people at any age when they buy their own home to get access to their own money,” Mr Morrison told Channel 7.

“The Labor Party opposed this because they don’t treat super like it’s your money - it is your money. You earned it and saved it.

“This helps... people to have a stronger retirement but at the same time not miss out on the opportunity to not wait years and years more.

“It (also) ensures that by having a bigger deposit... it is reducing your mortgage payments... You could save thousands of dollars a year.”

While Ms Plibersek said Mr Howard did not support the policy, Mr Morrison told the Today Show Mr Howard and Tony Abobtt both backed it at his launch in Brisbane on Sunday.

JOYCE BLASTS LABOR’S HOUSING POLICY

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told a Sky News voter event Labor devised their property plan off the back of a “beer coaster”.

The pub test at Tamworth, NSW, saw the Nationals leader answer questions from people from throughout the region and was hosted by Sky’s Paul Murray.

Mr Joyce attacked Labor’s policy for helping low and middle income earners buy a house through a Commonwealth equity contribution of up to 40 per cent for those on a gross income of up to $90,000.

“What happens if you get divorced? What happens if you get a wage rise? They work this stuff out on the back of a beer coaster,” he said.

“You’ve got to believe in this nation in you owning your house. Not in Fidel Castro owning your house.”

Mr Joyce said building dams, roads and ports was key to support and grow agriculture businesses across Australia.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce on the Paul Murray Live show.

Earlier this year, he co-announced one of Australia’s biggest water infrastructure projects in the last two decades in Dungowan, north west NSW near Tamworth.

Already the dam has faced opposition and reports of major budget blowouts.

He said “crazy green bureaucracy” was stopping dams being built.

“You know what? I hear they’ve found a turtle. I thought turtles like water and so more water, happier turtles,” he said.

Mr Joyce defended the resources and agriculture industries.

“You better export as much live sheep as you can, you better keep exporting coal, you better keep exporting gas, you better keep exporting iron ore, you better keep earning money, because if the money doesn’t come in, it can’t go out,” Mr Joyce said.

He told them in terms of energy, “transition” was code for unemployment.

Many working in the coal industry were earning well over six figures, which he said was hard to find without a university degree.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce on the Paul Murray Live show.

“They don’t like the idea of being made poor. So what we’ve got to do is make sure first and foremost we say to them ‘your job is secure’.”

Clive Palmer also appeared on the program to reveal how he would prompt voters via preferences come election day.

Mr Palmer said he would not preference the major parties on his how to vote cards and would place the other minor “freedom parties” ahead of them.

“In every state on our preference card there will be no Liberals, no Labor and no Greens,” Mr Palmer said.

He said this was largely because in the past the two major parties had preferenced each other over the United Australia Party.

“Preferences are really just a recommendation anyway,” he said.