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Australians to be prioritised in coalition housing plan

By AAP Newswire

May 17, 2024

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Australians should come first during the nation's housing crisis -AAP Image

Australians should be prioritised during a housing crisis, the opposition leader says, which is why his plan for the nation's future involves slashing migration.

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If elected in 2025 a coalition government would introduce a two-year ban on foreigners buying existing homes and cut the number of foreign students.

Reinforcing the proposals from his Thursday night budget-reply speech, the opposition leader said construction sector issues meant the government would need to increase supply via existing homes.

"We want the Australians who are living in tents and in the back of cars at the moment to take up the rental accommodation instead of international students who are here in huge numbers," he told the Today show on Friday.

"I think that's a no-brainer.

"It's not that we're against international students, but I think we've got to prioritise Australians getting into housing."

Peter Dutton received a standing ovation from colleagues after delivering his budget reply speech. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

More than 100,000 homes over the next five years would be freed up through reduced migration, Mr Dutton said during his speech.

The coalition would cut Australia's permanent migration intake of 185,000 by 25 per cent for the first two years, before raising it to 150,000 and then 160,000 in the fourth year.

The coalition will back energy bill rebates in the government's budget, worth $300 for every household, but warned Labor was "treating the symptom" and not the cause of higher prices.

Mr Dutton would scrap the $13.7 billion in tax incentives for hydrogen and critical minerals, the centrepiece of Labor's Future Made in Australia plan.

"These projects should stand up on their own without the need for taxpayer's money," Mr Dutton said.

The opposition leader criticised Labor's "'renewables only" energy policy and said going nuclear was "right" for the nation.

But Mr Dutton did not reveal details on nuclear energy and lower taxes - two of his biggest talking points.

Mr Dutton said older Australians and veterans would be able to earn triple the current income rate, up to $900 a fortnight, without having their pensions reduced.

He announced an instant asset write-off scheme for small businesses would rise to $30,000.

On industrial relations, Mr Dutton said the coalition would revert to a "simple definition" of a casual worker.

Peter Dutton had already announced plans to repeal the right to disconnect because he wants Australians to work longer for less.— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) Tonight he has revealed plans to reverse more of Labor's workplace changes which have improved job security and helped lift wages. pic.twitter.com/5hDWwNKcle May 16, 2024

Following a number of violent attacks, the opposition leader said there would be a restriction on the sale and possession of knives for minors and dangerous people, with tougher bail laws for family violence.

Education Minister Jason Clare said the coalition's plan lacked detail.

"This budget reply was just a nothing burger by Peter Dutton," he told Sunrise.

"Lots of (aggression), but no detail."

Mr Clare said Mr Dutton "talked a big game" on immigration without providing detail on how a reduction of that scale would impact the economy.

The housing crisis also cannot be fixed by solely cutting migration, the education minister said, and the government needed to build housing.

He also criticised the coalition for not revealing the locations of proposed nuclear reactors that would be built under the coalition's energy plan.