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

Anthony Albanese claims Labor has fast tracked the First Home Guarantee from January 1 to October 1 because he wanted to “get on with it”.

The second question was asked by Labor’s Mcnamara MP Josh Burns as a Dorithy Dixer, who is also the special envoy for social housing and homelessness.

“In April, at our campaign launch in Perth, we committed to give every first-home buyer the chance to buy their own home with just a 5 per cent deposit and to cover the cost of lender’s mortgage insurance,” the PM said.

“We said these changes would start on January 1 next year but we want to get on with it which is why we’ve brought it forward to October 1.”

Mr Albanese said it would build on other government measures. Among them, the PM listed Labor’s recently announced plan to pause the National Construction Code for four years, which had originally been a Coalition pledge.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has kicked off Question Time in the second fortnight of sitting for the 48th Parliament.

Ms Ley accused the government of stealing from the Coalition’s playbook after lifting their pledge to help Australians get into their first home with a smaller deposit.

The Prime Minister has answered her question by calling the Liberal leader “very bold” to throw around the criticism when the last Coalition government “didn’t even bother to have a Housing Minister”.

“Most of the time they were in office they didn’t even bother to have a Housing Minister,” Anthony Albanese said, drawing contrasts between Labor and Coalition action on housing.

“We on this side of the House have a $43 billion Homes for Australia plan.

“Now, tonight indeed, in the Senate they’re debating a Coalition motion to abolish the Build to Rent program. Now that is a program to support increased private rentals.

“Those opposite hate it so much they’re moving a disallowance motion on it.”

NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has accused the Liberal Party of not supporting plans to restart work on Woollahra train station and rezoning for up to 10,000 new homes in Sydney’s east.

Mr Scully could not confirm when exactly serious consideration was first given to resuming work on the “ghost station” during a budget estimates hearing on Monday.

“I think we probably first talked about it in 2023. We probably talked about it again in 2024 and we’ve most certainly spoken about it in 2025,” Mr Scully said.

Mr Scully turned the tables on Liberal MLC Scott Farlow during proceedings, asking him “where are you guys at?” in regard to the Woollahra redevelopment.

When Mr Farlow refused to answer the question and instead pressed on with his own of Mr Scully, the Planning Minister said: “So you don’t support it?”

“We’ve had the opposition confirmed this morning that they don’t support this plan,” Mr Scully continued, repeating the claim at least five more times.

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Senator Andrew Bragg has taken aim at Labor’s expanded first-home guarantee, warning it risks covering the well-heeled as well as the struggling.

Mr Bragg told 2GB Australia was in a “dangerous position” with taxpayers footing the bill for what he called demand-side welfare.

“The main game is supply,” he said, pointing to record population growth under Labor alongside a “massive collapse” in housing construction.

“This massive expansion of the scheme means that extremely wealthy people will be able to now use a government insurance scheme … people who, frankly, don’t need it,” he said.

Labor has been accused of putting politics before climate action by seizing on Coalition divisions over Barnaby Joyce’s net zero repeal bill, as politicians returned to Canberra for the new parliamentary sitting fortnight.

The private members’ bill calls for policies to reduce net zero emissions by 2050 to be abolished, claiming the renewables transition won’t make a meaningful difference but rather cost households.

Labor allowed the debate in the chamber on Monday morning as it sought to capitalise on the internal division the bill has caused in the Coalition.

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Queensland will become the first state or territory in the country with a public sex offender registry, as new legislation is set to be debated this week.

Announced at the Queensland Liberal National Party convention over the weekend, the proposed laws would allow people to apply for images of child sex offenders living in their area.

“The public register will unlock information for families about high-risk offenders in their local area and about people who regularly have unsupervised contact with their children,” Police Minister Dan Purdie said.

The reforms will be called Daniel’s Law, after years of campaigning from the parents of 13-year-old Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered in 2003.

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Anthony Albanese pushes back at Taiwan’s suggestion that Australia sidelined its bid to join the $24 trillion CPTPP trade pact, saying the decision rests with all members, not Canberra.

Asked directly whether Taiwan’s application had been brushed aside, the Prime Minister gave a blunt “no”, stressing the process was “long” and must be respected. China, which applied just before Taiwan in 2021, has urged members to reject Taipei’s bid on sovereignty grounds.

“It’s not a decision for Australia,” Mr Albanese said to reporters in Canberra.

“It’s a decision for every nation according to the processes. We respect those processes.”

Anthony Albanese has declared “in the real world” his Government is focused on delivering tax cuts and making it easier for people to buy home, but has left the door open to future changes to the tax system.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday the Government would start its promised expansion of the scheme that allows first home buyers to get into the property market with just 5 per cent deposit three months earlier than previously flagged.

The scheme means new buyers can get a deposit together quicker and won’t have to pay mortgage insurance because the Government acts as guarantor.

“We’re absolutely determined to do everything we can to fast-track home ownership, fast track improved number of rentals, fast-track social ownership of homes as well,” Mr Albanese said while visiting the house of a new home buyer in Canberra who had used the scheme.

Nationals leader David Littleproud accused the Government of “tinkering around the edges” on housing policy.

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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.

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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.”