Billionaire property king Harry Triguboff to scrap discount on apartments

Property mogul Harry Triguboff is so happy that the Coalition has won, that he is scrapping a 10 per cent discount on his apartments.

Harry Triguboff is over the moon at the weekend’s election result. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Billionaire apartment mogul Harry Triguboff said he will scrap planned discounts on Meriton apartments because of the Coalition’s stunning election win.

Speaking to ABC’s The Business, the property king, who has thousands of apartments for sale up and down the east coast of Australia, said he is confident property prices will start to rise again.

He said he has seen buyers immediately snap his apartments since the weekend’s election win.

“The buyers didn’t know whether to go ahead or not, but once they saw the results of the election they are going ahead,” he said.

“The way that Labor ran it they wanted people to lose money, and nobody wants to lose money.”

Buoyed by the Coalition’s win and a probable cut in interest rates, he told the program he will no longer offer buyers a 10 per cent discount on his apartments — as he does now.

In the final week of the election campaign, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a scheme to guarantee the deposit of first home buyers who had only saved 5 per cent of the purchase price.

Harry Triguboff is over the moon at the weekend’s election result. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The re-election of the Morrison Government and the rejection of Labor’s negative gearing and capital gains tax changes were welcomed unanimously by prestige property agents in Sydney’s cashed-up eastern suburbs.

“I think it’s a great thing,” LJ Hooker Double Bay principal Bill Malouf told realestate.com.au.

“I don’t think the market will go through the roof — don’t get me wrong — but I think it will bring back a bit more confidence.”

The Reserve Bank is considering cutting interest rates as there was zero inflation growth in the March quarter.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the federal government will do what it takes to keep the Australian economy humming, as the Reserve Bank appears likely to cut the official interest rate.

RBA Governor Philip Lowe says the central bank will consider cutting the rate at its board meeting in two weeks, in hopes of reducing unemployment and buoying inflation.

“A lower cash rate would support employment growth and bring forward the time when inflation is consistent with the target,” Dr Lowe said in a speech to the Economic Society of Australia on Tuesday.

Mr Triguboff says he expects property prices to rise. Picture: AAP IMAGE/Jordan Shields

Unemployment edged up to 5.2 per cent in April, while inflation was zero in the March quarter and 1.3 per cent over the previous 12 months.

That’s below the RBA’s target of between two and three per cent on average. The cash rate has been at a record low of 1.5 per cent since August 2016.

Asked what government policies could help the central bank hit its unemployment and inflation targets, Dr Lowe said an easing of monetary policy could be useful, as could more infrastructure spending.

“I would be advising all governments, not just the federal government but state governments, to make sure that they are investing in infrastructure that creates jobs and increases supply capacity.”

Fresh from a meeting with Treasury secretary Philip Gaetjens on Tuesday on the back of the coalition’s election victory, Mr Frydenberg said it remains clear the Australian economy is facing headwinds.

The rising trade tensions between China and the US continue to pose a challenge, along with local floods, droughts and the slowdown of Australia’s housing market.

But heading into the coalition’s third term, Mr Frydenberg is confident the economy’s fundamentals remain sound.

Josh Frydenberg says the federal government will do what it takes to keep the Australian economy humming. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The government’s promised tax relief will help keep it that way, he stressed, along with $100 billion worth of road and rail spending over the next decade and the creation of new apprenticeships.

“Infrastructure spending is absolutely critical,” the treasurer told reporters in Canberra.

“We will take all the action that is needed to ensure the Australian economy remains strong.” Key Morrison government adviser Arthur Sinodinos believes the economy will rebound with the coalition in power, pointing to a huge jump on the stock market on Monday.

“The fact the government has been returned has reflected in the stock market already, which I think gained about $33 billion in market capitalisation yesterday,” Senator Sinodinos told Sky News on Tuesday.

“The return to government has actually increased business confidence, and I think that’s going to be good for business investment.”

— with wires