Taylor Proposes Citizen-Only Home Buyer Scheme

0:00It's April 15th. This is Sydney News Today, your AI-powered local news. Opposition leader Angus Taylor dropped a big change to immigration policy this week, saying a coalition government would slam the door on non-citizens, using the Australian government's 5% deposit scheme for first home buyers. That program lets folks buy with just a 5% down payment, backed by taxpayer guarantees. Taylor called it outrageous that non-citizens tap into this, insisting it should be citizens only. The scheme kicked off in 2020, and defaults have been super rare, just 12 cases, less than 0.01% of guarantees. Still, Taylor wants to tighten entitlements across social and economic programs for citizens first. Multicultural leaders are pushing back hard, warning this could scare off top skilled migrants Australian needs. Groups like the Federation of Ethnic Communities say home ownership builds belonging and keeps contributors here, since migrants palm more into, housing and the economy, than average.

1:03Skilled visa holders already face renting hurdles, and experts note they pay taxes for years before citizenship, filling shortages like 57. Percent of GPs and 43% of nurses. Blocking them doesn't fix rental demand and ignores real abuse, which data shows is tiny. Meanwhile, voices like independent MP Zali Stegel call this a distraction from the housing crunch. Better to tweak investor tax breaks. Immigration Minister Tony Burke points out permanent residents have long access to these perks, keeping policy steady as Australia leans on migrants too. Thrive.