Housing Policy: Compassion vs Who Really Wins?

Host Andrew Urquhart is joined by Justin Smith to unpack Labour's eleventh-hour housing policy, which proposes a five percent deposit threshold for first-home buyers just weeks before the election. Both acknowledge the tension between homeowners and those locked out of the market, questioning whether easing access is fair to those who struggled under tougher conditions, or simply reflects shifting circumstances across generations.

Smith warns that while the policy's intent to improve affordability is sound, lowering deposit thresholds could load buyers with greater long-term debt, with banks the real beneficiaries regardless of which major party's version is adopted. He and Andrew reflect on voting with a view to the collective good rather than personal financial benefit, with Smith stressing he tries to back policies that serve the country long term, even if it costs him individually.

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