Interview with Sally Sara on ABC RN Breakfast

SENATOR ANDREW BRAGG

Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness

Shadow Minister for Productivity and Deregulation

Liberal Senator for New South Wales

TRANSCRIPT

INTERVIEW WITH SALLY SARA ON ABC RADIO NATIONAL BREAKFAST

06 November 2025

Subjects: Climate policy, Labor’s expanded Home Guarantee Scheme

E&OE………

Sally Sara

Well, questions of the Liberal Party's leadership and the Coalition's future intensified this week as the Liberal Party continues to review its energy policy. It comes after the Nationals dumped their commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 at the weekend. Joining me now is Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg, the Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness. Senator, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.

Senator Bragg

Morning, Sally. How are you?

Sally Sara

Very well, thank you. Does the Liberal Party have a firm timeframe on when it will be able to get together and finally settle its policy position on emissions?

Senator Bragg

Well, I think it will be resolved in the next couple of weeks because we have to deal with these critical issues. It's very important to people that their governments have a plan to reduce emissions, but also to protect their jobs and to ensure the industry remains on shore.

Sally Sara

How much difference of opinion is there at the moment ahead of reaching some position?

Senator Bragg

Well, I think this has been widely canvassed. I'm not sure that's necessarily a bad thing. I think having a democratic debate inside a political party potentially is a good thing.

Sally Sara

Is it inside, though? It's been spilling out.

Senator Bragg

Well, I think it now needs to be brought to a head and resolved, I think, because it is harming our ability to hold the government to account because this is chewing up so much energy. Let's be honest, the government is failing across a number of areas. Of course, I would say that, but I think it's quite clear that if you look at the economy, you look at even just your last guest in terms of some of the health care issues, there are a lot of issues there that are bothering the community, which we would be able to do a better job on if we could resolve this issue.

Sally Sara

If that was resolved, would the Opposition be able to land more punches and things like in Question Time?

Senator Bragg

Well, I'm not sure Question Time is the be all and end all. I think what people want to see is accountability on the expenditure of public funds, making sure programmes are administered properly, making sure the government's doing the best things they can.

Sally Sara

That's one of the forums where you can do it.

Senator Bragg

Sure. But ultimately, when you pare it all back, we're here to make sure that public funds aren't wasted, that programmes are properly administered, that the government's on the right track.

Sally Sara

Has Sussan Ley's leadership, has it lost a bit of skin through all of this?

Senator Bragg

No this is what Sussan said that she was going to do. There's going to be this internal debate, and we've had it, and it's almost finished.

Sally Sara

Have you had it?

Senator Bragg

Well, we're having it.

Sally Sara

Is there much tension at the moment, would you say?

Senator Bragg

I mean, these are policy issues. It's not personal. I mean, people have different views. These have been issues that have been the subject of great disagreement for some time. But I would say in terms of the community's view, I mean, the community is worried about climate change. The community is worried about Australia's role in how that all pans out. I think they want to see us have a serious agenda here. I think they want to see us have a goal, and I think we should reflect carefully on that.

Sally Sara

Have senior members of the Liberal Party Room seen the final report from Dan Tehan as yet - his review into this policy?

Senator Bragg

No, Dan is still working on that.

Sally Sara

When do you expect to see that?

Senator Bragg

Well, I imagine we'll see it soon because this will be resolved this parliamentary year. As you know, we're running out of runway.

Sally Sara

You sure are. Time is running out. We've got after this one more sitting week.

Senator Bragg

That's right.

Sally Sara

You're listening to Radio National Breakfast. My guest is the Shadow Minister for Housing, Andrew Bragg. Let's return to your shadow portfolio area. The government has defended its expanded 5% deposit scheme for first home buyers, with the Housing Minister, Clare O'Neil, saying quote, 'it's not having a significant impact on house prices.' What proof do you have that it is having an impact?

Senator Bragg

Well, what you've seen in the first month of the changes to the 5% deposit scheme is the biggest jump in monthly prices in years, at the entry-level point. What you're not seeing is house prices jumping across the board. You're just seeing it at the entry-level point.

Sally Sara

Is it correlation or causal, do you think?

Senator Bragg

Well, I mean, if you look at Cotality and you look at some of the independent economists, they're saying that this is a big change because it's a demand side policy. Now, obviously, the government have failed to get houses built. In that environment where they put this demand side measure, which is uncapped and not means tested, it's having an impact on prices.

Sally Sara

In your view, do the prices of entry level homes need to fall?

Senator Bragg

Well, I think they are too high, and I think the government should seriously think about what it's going to do to get supply moving. In terms of the actual prices for first home buyers, I think they are too high now, and I think it's getting ridiculous. The fact that Canberra is causing some of this price growth at the entry level means that Canberra is responsible for it. Frankly, the government should be looking for ways to reduce their prices for the entry level point because it's getting to a point where it's really unfair.

Sally Sara

Entry level aside, should house prices in other parts of the market fall to make them more affordable?

Senator Bragg

My job is not to worry about people that have more means. I'm worried about the Australian dream and getting people into that first house. Now, if the barrier is so high, that's going to distort the Australian dream, that's my focus. Now, I would say to you that the government, having failed to build the houses and now having debased this 5% deposit scheme, they are driving up the prices. Therefore, Canberra should look at ways to reduce those prices.

Sally Sara

How does that then fit for first home buyers who are getting into that entry level? Don't they rely on prices going up so they can then jump up into the next section of the market, for example, starting off in somewhere smaller and then moving up?

Senator Bragg

Sure, but it's a question of degree. You've seen 1% growth in one month, 1.2% in one month - that's extraordinary. Canberra can't wash its hands of this. This is something that the government knew that was going to happen. They won't give us the Treasury modelling. They say that there's a 0.5% increase over six years. What we've seen is 1% increase in one month. There's a reason that Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong and the Senate team won't give us the documents, but the Prime Minister himself has referred to these Treasury documents in public, and the Senate ordered them. We want to see what they actually have been told, because I'm sure they would have been warned this was a risk.

Sally Sara

Andrew Bragg, thanks again for coming into the studio.

Senator Bragg

Thanks, Sally.

Sally Sara

Andrew Bragg is a Liberal Senator and Shadow Minister for Housing.

[Ends]