McEwen, VIC — Shadow Housing Minister Michael Sukkar, speaking from the marginal Labor-held seat of McEwen, has outlined the Coalition’s ambitious housing and immigration policies in the lead-up to the federal election. Appearing alongside Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Sukkar announced a proposal to reduce the annual intake of international students from 320,000 to 240,000, arguing that Labor’s “Big Australia” migration policy has fuelled the housing crisis.
“We’ve seen more than a million migrants over two years while fewer homes are being built,” Sukkar said in an exclusive interview with Sky News' Andrew Clennell. “Australians have suffered as a consequence.”
The move, part of a broader plan to ease housing pressure, includes a $5 billion commitment to fast-track the construction of 500,000 new homes on Greenfield sites. The Coalition also promises to grant first-home buyers access to up to $50,000 of their superannuation for home deposits—on the condition it is returned upon selling.
In response to Clennell’s question about whether the plan could inflate housing prices, Sukkar insisted the Coalition’s policies are “calibrated,” with increased supply helping to offset any demand-side pressure.
“All these things hang together. If we bring in more supply, particularly in Greenfield sites, then we’re releasing that pressure cooker environment,” he said.
The interview also touched on net migration, with Clennell pressing Sukkar for a specific figure. While he declined to disclose a number, Sukkar asserted the Coalition’s intake would be “significantly lower than Labor’s,” and promised more detail from Peter Dutton in due course.
On energy policy, Sukkar criticised Labor’s new 30% battery subsidy as a “concession of failure” on energy prices, pointing to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s unmet promise of a $275 reduction in household energy bills.
“Rather than going down by $275, prices have gone up by $1,300,” Sukkar said, describing the subsidy as a signal that “prices are going to be so high, we’ll help people get off the grid.”
Sukkar also addressed recent criticism over the sale of the Port of Darwin under the previous Coalition government, calling Peter Dutton’s move to reverse the decision “great leadership” in a changed geopolitical climate.
Clennell raised the spectre of Trump-style politics, suggesting comparisons to the former U.S. president might be damaging the Coalition’s campaign. Sukkar dismissed the notion, redirecting focus to what he labelled “bread-and-butter issues” affecting Australians.
“Australians are more focused on daily struggles than political comparisons. What they see is a weak leader in Anthony Albanese who can’t stand up for the national interest,” he said.
In a lighter moment, the discussion turned to the recent campaign trail mishaps involving both Albanese and Dutton. Sukkar laughed off the incident, referencing a cameraman injured during a press melee: “As long as we all live to tell the story, that’s the main thing.”
With the federal election looming, the Coalition is betting on a decisive contrast with Labor—particularly on housing, energy, and migration—to win over voters facing rising rents, limited supply, and high living costs.
