SENATOR ANDREW BRAGG

Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness

Shadow Minister for Environment

Liberal Senator for New South Wales

TRANSCRIPT

INTERVIEW WITH NADIA MITSOPOULOS ON ABC RADIO PERTH

14 May 2026

Subjects: Migration, Housing, Budget

E&OE.........

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Senator Andrew Bragg who's the Shadow Housing Minister and joins you this morning from our studios at Parliament House in Canberra. Good morning Senator.

Senator Bragg

Nadia, how are you.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Good. So just explain this policy. What are you proposing exactly?

Senator Bragg

Well for many years I've been asking the government in Senate estimates why they don't model the impact of having 1.4 million people come into the country but only building 600,000 houses and they've always laughed and guffawed about that. So the starting point is that we would model the impact of housing and migration and if we don't get enough homes then we'll look to cap certain visa classes.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay. So just to be very clear, we're talking about net overseas migration right? So the difference between the number of people arriving and the number of departures. That's what you're talking about here?

Senator Bragg

We're talking about migration to Australia. We're talking about housing and migration.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

No, but when we're talking about the number of people coming in, you are talking about net overseas migration. So we're talking about the difference between people who come in and people who leave.

Senator Bragg

Sure, but in an operational sense you'd be looking to cap certain visa classes to be specific. Yes.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Alright. And when we talk about net overseas migration we're also talking about foreign students, temporary migrants?

Senator Bragg

I understand that. Yes.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay. So based on last financial year, if we had 175,000 new homes built, which were in Australia, 22,600 in WA, would that have meant you would have allowed 175,000 people into Australia?

Senator Bragg

If we don't have enough homes to house Australians and people that we propose to become Australians then we would look to cap certain visa classes and that's something that we will be consulting with industry and business on because we also recognise the need to maintain skilled migration which is essential for powering our industries. So the principle here is that the government have collapsed housing supply. So they've spent 80 billion dollars to build fewer homes and they've run a large migration program. So we want to make sure that that gets calibrated properly. And so the idea is that if we don't get enough homes completed then we would be looking to cap certain visa classes and we'd consult on that.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay, and I want to talk about visa classes, but are we talking about one new migrant, one new house? So last year 175,000 new homes were built...

Senator Bragg

I didn't say that. Yes. I just said we'd do the modelling on it right? We'd do the modelling, but the principle is very clear that if you don't get enough homes then you look to cap certain visa classes. Yes.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

And how many is enough homes? Do you have a number?

Senator Bragg

Well we'll do the modelling. I mean the Labor party don't even do any modelling on this. I mean I've asked Katy Gallagher the Finance Minister...

Nadia Mitsopoulos

They've got a housing accord.

Senator Bragg

Oh yeah, and what does that tell you?

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Well what do you mean what does that tell me? They've got targets. Do you have targets?

Senator Bragg

But what does the housing accord actually tell you about housing completions?

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Well it tells me if they don't complete their targets, which they haven't been able to...

Senator Bragg

That's right.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

So you would have new targets?

Senator Bragg

I can tell you what it means. It means that the government have tried to build 1.2 million houses but they'll be about a quarter of a million short on that. So it means that they've completely failed on housing supply, meanwhile they've run a large migration program and so that's one of the reasons why there's been such a big squeeze on housing in Australia because combined with the huge failure on supply, you've got more people looking for housing. So it's one of the factors that has made housing unaffordable for many Australians and so we think that this is one of the factors that we need to fix.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay. Senator Andrew Bragg is my guest this morning, the opposition housing spokesperson. So what class of visa would this apply to?

Senator Bragg

Well I just told you, we'd consult on that.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

But would you not have an idea? You would have some idea surely which ones you'd like to target.

Senator Bragg

Well there's heaps of different visa classes as you know Nadia. So we'd be consulting on that because we want to get it right. I mean Australia is a great country, right, and we've been a great migrant nation. And a lot of people want to come to Australia, but we want to get the people that are going to be able to be productive for our country. And I'll give you an example of something that we need more of. We need more tradies, right? So we need 80,000 more tradies to build the houses that Australians want to live in. And last year we only got 4,000 tradies in on visas. So that's an example of something we need more of. But as I say, we'll consult on the visa classes that we would cap if we don't get the numbers of houses built.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

So I'm suspecting you wouldn't look at skilled migrants or cutting them, but maybe temporary visa holders, so they'd be foreign students, working holiday makers maybe?

Senator Bragg

Possibly, but I've just told you we'd consult on that.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay. I just can't understand if you're going to announce a pretty substantial policy, which is going to be a centrepiece of your leader's Budget in Reply speech tonight, that you wouldn't have some of this detail sorted out.

Senator Bragg

You've got to get it right. You've got to get it right. So the principle is clear and you've got to get it right. So I think I've said to you three or four times we'll consult on how this will actually work. But the principle of actually doing the modelling and having some alignment here of policy is actually a new idea and it's quite important.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

And who would you consult with?

Senator Bragg

Everyone. Doors open. We're always happy to hear from people. But clearly, I mean I know in WA you've got a very strong commercial and mining sector. I mean we'd want to hear from all the interests there in Western Australia as we want to hear from people in all parts of Australia.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Aged care sector is crying out for workers, construction sector, tourism as well relies very heavily on holiday makers, on temporary visas.

Senator Bragg

Hospitality, there's heaps of different sectors. Yes, I understand.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay. Senator, as I understand it, Australia has agreements with countries, I think it's around 50 or so, that do allow migrants to come in on temporary visas, and there is no caps in place, it's more that; yes your people from your countries can come in. So, does that mean those agreements under a policy like this would be impacted and either cut up or renegotiated?

Senator Bragg

Look, I don't think it matters really. I mean ultimately, we run Australia's migration program in the interests of Australians and we're not going to be bound by international law or agreements. I mean we've got to get this right.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

But these include free trade agreements where these issues are a part of these agreements. Are you saying these agreements don't matter? Because I reckon they probably matter to the 50 countries that we've got these agreements with.

Senator Bragg

Well we're not going to have our migration policy or any policy dictated by a free trade agreement.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Okay. So those agreements under this policy would not be set in stone, you'd be quite happy to rip them up.

Senator Bragg

Well Nadia I think you know we have a significant housing crisis. And it's acute in WA as well. And we have to look at how we get the supply side moving. The government think that more taxes is going to help build more houses in some way, which I think is insane logic. But the Budget papers actually show that their new taxes will reduce housing supply by 35,000. And this will be a massive tax on everything by the way. So we think that lower taxes is important. We think there should be less red tape. And we think that we need to consider the impact of migration and housing. And ultimately the objective we have in mind here is making the Australian dream more realisable for younger generations. And we're not going to be dictated to by a Free Trade Agreement. I mean of course we respect the agreements that are in place, but we will determine the nature of the migration into Australia.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Senator Andrew Bragg is the opposition housing spokesperson. I will go to your calls, 1300 222 102. It is a bit light on crucial detail I've got to say. But does that then mean that it will be just the ability to build houses that will dictate the migration policy?

Senator Bragg

No, I mean the migration policy will have a number of factors, that'll be one element.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Can I just play you a little bit of audio? This was the Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson and Jim Chalmers, the Federal Treasurer in question time yesterday.

Tim Wilson (Audio Clip)

Since Labor came to office, 1.4 million people have arrived in Australia. This year alone, the government is falling 77,000 homes behind its housing target. Treasurer, where will all these new migrants live?

Jim Chalmers (Audio Clip)

Mr Speaker, I hope the Shadow Treasurer is aware that when he blows on the dog whistle, they can hear it in Goldstein too.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Are you dog whistling Senator?

Senator Bragg

That's a very funny question Nadia. Well of course not. I mean we are wanting to support migration. We are wanting to support Australia as a great country, as a nation that welcomes migrants, but doing it in a way that suits Australia. And I think for us to do anything else is just to make the housing crisis even worse.

Nadia Mitsopoulos

Alright, I'll leave it there and I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Senator Bragg

Good on you. Thanks a lot.

[Ends] - Media Contact | David Nouri | 0401 392 624



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