Budget 2024 reply: Liberals to home in on migration and housing
Peter Dutton will reveal key planks of the Coalition’s migration and housing policies in his budget reply speech, as he shifts to an election war footing following Labor’s big-spending budget.
Peter Dutton will reveal key planks of the Coalition’s alternative migration and housing policies in his budget reply speech, as the Opposition Leader shifts to an election war footing following Labor’s big-spending, populist budget.
The Opposition Leader on Thursday night will link migration with the housing shortage crisis. He will outline plans to tackle soaring migration levels and help first-home buyers crack the property market.
In the wake of high-profile stabbing attacks, the former Queensland policeman will address how Australia can come together to improve community safety.
Mr Dutton on Wednesday accused Anthony Albanese of refusing to acknowledge that “migration dramatically increases” under the budget.
“That is going to put more pressure on people wanting to rent homes, it’s going to put more pressure on young Australians who want to get into the housing market,” Mr Dutton said.
“We’ll have a sensible look at how we can address Labor’s housing crisis that they’ve created, and support families.”
He said with homebuilding at an 11-year low, 1.67 million people coming into the country over five years and property prices rising, Australians were struggling to find rentals or purchase homes. The Coalition has recommitted to expanding a 2022 election pledge allowing Australians access to their superannuation to buy a home.
The Liberal leader is expected to attack the Prime Minister’s Future Made in Australia policy, including the $13.7bn package providing production tax credits for miners. He will also focus on Labor’s handling of inflation, the impact of high interest rates on homeowners, and flatlining growth and productivity.
Consistent with his previous two budget reply speeches, Mr Dutton will champion small business, the outer suburbs and regional Australia as the Coalition eyes electoral gains in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and South Australia.
Industry sources said Mr Dutton would likely promise to scrap the $1bn Future Made in Australia funding deal with US-based PsiQuantum to build a yet-to-be-developed quantum computer in Brisbane.
Mr Dutton will meet with senior frontbenchers Angus Taylor, Jane Hume, Sussan Ley and David Littleproud to finalise the speech on Thursday. Despite pressure from Labor to release his energy policy, which will commit to pursuing nuclear technologies, Mr Dutton is expected to address energy prices and emissions in his speech, but won’t unveil broader details until June.
CT Group-run focus groups with soft voters in western Sydney on Tuesday night revealed they felt the government is listening to their concerns but had doubts about Labor having a credible long-term plan.
Voters said they were confused about how budget measures would affect them and were looking for a credible alternative economic plan and vision from the Coalition. Younger voters said the government had used the budget to tick boxes and others were anxious about losing out on the “Australian dream” of owning a home.
Writing in The Australian, Mr Albanese accused Mr Dutton of “all negativity and no plan … Peter Dutton’s only relentlessness is playing politics”.
“We will hear from Mr Dutton (on Thursday night). He’s spent the past two years saying no to every measure we’ve proposed to deal with cost of living,” Mr Albanese wrote.
“He’s said no to energy bill relief, no to cheaper medicines, no to wage increases. It’s time for Mr Dutton to give Australians some answers. He needs to deliver fully costed plans. He needs to tell Australians what services he’ll slash. He needs to come clean about where he’ll put his nuclear reactors.”
CT Group analysis showed that if the Coalition can’t convince voters on its economic vision, Australians could opt for stability rather than change.
“Overall, voters feel the government is listening to their concerns, but the optimism is tempered with doubts that Labor has a credible long-term plan, and confusion about how budget measures will directly affect them,” a CT Group memo to clients said.
“This matters because the next election, due within 12 months, will be decided largely in outer suburban seats. This budget won’t hurt Labor, but voters find no coherent narrative.
“This creates a clear opportunity for the Coalition to strike a more compelling message on a smaller set of issues. Voters are looking for a credible alternative economic plan and vision from the Coalition, without which they are likely to opt for stability rather than more change.”
The memo said “while there is frustration and even despair among voters on inflation pressures and the housing shortage, there is also a sense that Labor is just playing the hand it was dealt two years ago”.
“This is essentially that the economy’s challenges are big ones heavily influenced by external factors.”
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