Australian news and politics live: Albanese says expanded 5 per cent home deposit scheme will help thousands

Senator Jacqui Lambie has taken aim at Donald Trump’s tariff playbook and Anthony Albanese’s attempts to cosy up to him, saying Australia is getting a raw deal and that Mr Albanese should ‘stay away’ from Mr Trump.

Speaking on Nine’s Today, Ms Lambie slammed the former US president for slapping tariffs on Australia despite the nation sinking billions into the AUKUS submarine program.

“Tariffs didn’t go up, so that was a bit of a bonus,” she said.

“So maybe if Albo stays away from him, that may continue. But I think it’s really rude of Trump to do what he’s doing.”

Ms Lambie said the government’s scramble for face time with Mr Trump was misplaced.

“If he doesn’t want to meet you, then why push the envelope? It’s embarrassing, kissing their backside. Go figure,” she said.

With $2 billion already sunk into AUKUS, Ms Lambie accused Washington of “doing us over” and warned Mr Trump’s unpredictability would ultimately leave Australia exposed.

“When he decides to make up his mind, he makes his mind up, and everybody else pays the consequences. That’s how it works,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been asked if Australia the Government will announce the 2035 emissions target.

“We’ll announce it when there’s an announcement,” he said.

“If you get rid of net zero, you are saying climate change is not real and you do not need to do anything about it.

“You have Barnaby Joyce, whose private members bill will be debated in the Parliament this morning, openly saying that climate change is not real. That’s effectively what they are saying.

“A former Liberal leader, of course, described climate change as crap. You know, it is defying what we see happening around us and defying the science My government will act on climate change.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is spruiking the Government’s approach to tackling Australia’s housing crisis, emphasising collaboration across state and local governments and the private sector.

The 5 per cent deposit scheme, being expaded to all first home buyers has been brought forward to October.

“My government’s determined to make a difference on housing,” Mr Albanese said.

“If you don’t have a target, you’re not trying. The former government didn’t have a minister, let alone a target.

“We need to work across state and local government, with the private sector, we’re determined to do it.

“There’s a full suite of measures – the Housing Australia Future Fund, the Shared Equity scheme, the Build to Rent, incentives for private rentals, increased rent assistance, the 5 per cent deposit.”

Taiwan has issued a stark warning about China’s ambitions should it invade, saying Xi Jinping could use Taiwan’s critical computer chip industry to dominate global power much like Hitler did with Czechoslovakia’s arms factories before World War II.

Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Chih-chung Wu made the comparison, urging the Albanese government to support Taiwan’s bid to join Asia’s largest trading bloc, according to The Australian.

“Germany obtained the industrial power of Czechoslovakia. Then they invaded Poland and France using tanks made in Czechoslovakia,” the former ambassador to France said.

Mr Wu declared China under Mr Xi had a similar ambition to Hitler. “They want to weaponise the Taiwanese chips capability to rule the world,” he said.

Taiwan currently supplies 60 per cent of the world’s computer chips and 90 per cent of the most advanced chips required in artificial intelligence.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated Australia’s plan to recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations next month, emphasising the country’s ongoing advocacy for a peaceful two-state solution in the Middle East.

“We have consistently advocated both directly to the Israeli government, but also through our vote in international forums, for aid to be allowed into Gaza, consistently advocated for a ceasefire and for the hostages to be released and Hamas to be disarmed,” Albanese told ABC RN on Monday morning.

“We will continue to use our voice in international forums and continue to be a strong advocate for a long-term solution as well, which, of course, is the state of Israel and the state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the decision to start the federal government’s expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme for first home buyers three months earlier than planned, will make an “enormous difference” for Australians trying to enter the property market.

“We know that a 5 per cent deposit rather than sitting around paying someone else’s mortgage makes an enormous difference,” Albanese told ABC RN.

“The fact that we’re making this first home buyer scheme available to everyone, with no income limits, and we are also increasing the property price caps to set them higher in line with average house prices ... I think this will make an enormous difference.”

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has emphasised the government’s efforts to ease the housing crisis as prices and rents rise faster than incomes.

“I don’t control house prices in our country. What I do control is what the government does about the housing crisis which is affecting the lives of millions of people,” she told ABC News Breakfast.

“We built a $43 billion agenda that’s tackling the crisis from every angle. We’re building more homes, we’re getting renters a better deal.”

“Not only are we helping the private market work better through things like the pause to the National Construction Code, but we’re actually rolling up our sleeves and building homes ourselves. 50,000 social and affordable homes, 100,000 homes just for first home buyers working with the states and territories.

“We’re really massively stepping up on housing but I don’t pretend it’s easy. This is causing huge pain for people and that’s why it’s one of the top priorities of the government.”

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil is spruiking the government pushing forward its 5 per cent deposit scheme to give young Australians a faster pathway into home ownership.

“This will help tens of thousands of more young people in the market every year,” she told ABC News Breakfast.

“It’s too hard to buy a house in Australia today and it’s appropriate the Commonwealth government is leaning in and doing everything we can to support young people.”

Responding to a new proposed development of a heavy train station in Woollahra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, that will provide up to 10,000 apartments: “It will be controversial, nothing in housing is easy… but politicians in this country have to show some mettle on this one.”

The Albanese government’s expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme will allow more first home buyers to get into the market sooner, rather than an annual cap, with the rollout beginning in October.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says the program is already delivering results but acknowledges more work is needed to boost housing supply.

“They’ll be saving about $42,000 of mortgage lenders insurance so they will get into a home of their own much faster,” she told Sunrise.

“We’ve already helped about 180,000 people into a home of their own with our 5 per cent deposit scheme.”

Responding to Labor being behind on the 1.2 million homes scheme, Ms Plibersek say “one of the main things that was discussed at the economic Roundtable last week is how we can make sure we get more homes out of the ground faster.”

Read more.