Full List: Aussie politicians’ property wealth revealed

Australia’s federal MPs own over 520 properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars. SEE HOW YOUR LOCAL POLLIE RATES

Senator for NSW Mehreen Faruqi – who has four real estate interests declared – bought this townhouse in Beaconsfield for $193,000 in 1996 and has since renovated it.

Australia’s federal politicians own over 520 properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars, with many putting their $200k-plus salaries and super to work in real estate across state borders.

With the federal election due on or before May 21, crunching Australian Parliament House declarations showed 95 per cent of those making national policies impacting housing were existing homeowners and investors. Of over 220 senators and members who shared their real estate holdings, only 11 don’t currently have any houses, units or commercial properties.

The vast majority of their real estate investment has gone into residential properties including several holiday homes along coastal parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Several capitalised on booming real estate prices to sell over 40 properties, but they also expanded their property portfolio with over 70 homes bought during this term.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews bought a Mediterranean style villa in this Clear Island Waters complex in QLD in 2021. Picture: Realestate.com.au

Deputy PM and Member for New England (NSW) Barnaby Joyce has four properties declared including one in Loomberah.

NSW politicians had the most properties 134, followed by Victoria 115 and Queensland 95. Western Australia had 71, South Australia 51, Tasmania 40, NT 14 and ACT six.

The top landowner in federal parliament, Senator Sam McMahon of the Northern Territory, has 10 properties – seven in NT including her home in Katherine, two in QLD – at Noosa in South East QLD and Douglas in Townsville, as well as a holiday home in Lombok, Indonesia. The former veterinary surgeon of 30 years – who qualified via the University of Queensland – would have had a tally of 11 but the Country Liberal Party member used the boom to sell off an Arizona property in March last year.

Her strategy to hold on to her Australian stock, all accumulated before this term in office, was similar to that of Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories, Member for Forrest WA Nola Marino – who declared eight real estate interests for her spouse – seven of which she co-owns. Most were farms or leases in the rich agricultural town of her birth, Harvey, located halfway between Perth and Margaret River, as well as farming interests in the nearby beachside town of Myalup.

Member for Barton (NSW) owns this three bedroom house in Marrickville bought for $470,000 in 1997 – one of five properties in her declarations.

Of five properties declared by Member for Hunter (NSW) Joel Fitzgibbon, two are in Cessnock NSW.

The top property-owning federal politician in Queensland was a tie between Member for Bowman QLD Andrew Laming and Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews who both had seven, as did Victoria’s top federal property baron Member for Wannon VIC Daniel Tehan. New South Wales, where property prices surged the most during the pandemic, was a three-way tie with five properties to Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon, Member for Barton Linda Burney, and Senator Deborah O’Neill.

Member for Makin Antonio Zappia had South Australia’s top portfolio of six, Tasmania saw a tie on five properties to Member for Braddon Gavin Pearce and Senator Catryna Bilyk, while ACT’s leader was Senator Zdenko Seselja with two.

Australian Labor Party members had the most properties 213 of all the individual parties, though the Liberal National Coalition – made up of Liberal Party of Australia (155), Liberal National Party of QLD (72), The Nationals (41) and Country Liberal Party (10) – collectively surged past that with 278. Only one political grouping, the Katter Party, had no runs on the real estate board declared, while The Greens had 15.

This comes as Real Estate Institute of Qld head Antonia Mercorella urged federal politicians not to lose touch with the reality on the ground for many trying to get into the property market. “If you are already a property owner, it can be difficult to put yourself in the boots of someone who isn’t a property owner,” she said. “There’s no doubt they need to do more to bump up supply and also affordability … Sometimes politicians can be out of touch, it’s not just related to housing, it’s everything.”

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Originally published as Full List: Aussie politicians’ property wealth revealed