Migration crackdown and housing boost in budget reply
Angus Taylor is preparing to give his first budget reply speech since taking over as opposition leader, with several policies already announced.
OPPOSITION Leader Angus Taylor is due to make his first budget reply speech, with a focus on migration and housing policy.
WHAT IS EXPECTED IN THE SPEECH?
* The rate of net overseas migration would be capped at the level of houses being built each year
* Certain welfare measures would be limited to Australian citizens, including access to the NDIS, family tax benefits, and paid parental leave
* Mr Taylor would also revive former opposition leader Peter Dutton’s policy of setting up a $5 billion housing infrastructure fund
* The fund would support infrastructure such as water, sewerage, and utilities to housing developments
* The coalition also plan to reduce the number of regulations in the national construction code to make it easier to build homes
* It would also abolish Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund, as well as the Help to Buy Scheme, and the New Homes Bonus
* It’s also been reported that the speech will include a proposal to tie the level of tax brackets to the rate of inflation to stop workers paying higher taxes
WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN?
* “We have got, right now, a government that is slashing support for private health insurance for older Australians, and at the same time dishing out billions and billions of dollars to people in this country who are not citizens for welfare” – Opposition Leader Angus Taylor
* “While (the coalition has) been telling everyone that One Nation has no policies, they’ve been reading them very carefully because they’re desperate for some good ideas” – One Nation leader Pauline Hanson
* “It is pathetic that the Liberals are willing to sink so low trying to out-racist One Nation” – Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi
