TV interview with Minister Butler, Sunrise – 5 June 2026

NATALIE BARR, HOST: The Federal Government has been forced to defend its scheme to help first home buyers into the market after it was revealed one in five people who use it aren't Australian citizens. The Coalition hitting out because the scheme is open to permanent residents. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil returned serve, accusing the Opposition of, quote: “racing One Nation to the bottom.”
 
For more, we're joined by Health Minister Mark Butler and Deputy Liberal Leader Jane Hume. Good morning to both of you. So since 2022, 51,000 permanent residents have accessed the first home buyer scheme. Mark, Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson actually says Australians don't want benefits going to people who are not citizens. Do you think that's the case?
 
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: We don't want temporary residents to access programs like this, and they can't. We've also cracked down on foreign investors buying our housing. We extended that ban in the Budget a few weeks ago. But permanent residents are here forever. They're building careers, they're building businesses, they're having children, and we want them to enjoy the full Australian dream, which includes getting into housing. Some in my electorate have been here literally for decades; British, Italian migrants, more recently people from India and China. They are here for life. Of course, we'd love them as soon as possible to go out and take the citizenship test and go to the ceremony as well. But they are here for life, and we want them to enjoy the full Australian dream. We also want them, if they get a catastrophic injury at home, for example, to be able to access the NDIS, which they help fund through their taxes. That is another difference between the Labor Party and Jane's party as well. But they're here for life, and I think we should make sure that they're able to get into housing.
 
BARR: Okay, yeah, Jane, that's the flip side of this. Permanent residents pay taxes, they serve in our Defence Force. Why shouldn't they get help to buy their first home?
 
SENATOR JANE HUME: Nat, this was a scheme that was originally designed for Australian citizens. It was a change that Labor made in 2023 that's now allowed the 51,000 non-citizens to access the scheme. Now, I think Australians would rightly expect when taxpayer funds are subsidising a scheme or supporting a scheme that that scheme is there for Australian citizens and Australian citizens first. Permanent residents, we would love to come and see become citizens, I think that's a really important transition that we want to encourage people to make. But think of the flip side. If you went and lived in Italy or Spain or the US, you wouldn't expect to be able to access your first home through a government-subsidised scheme. You would be expected to be able to fund yourself, and that's exactly what we expect permanent residents to do.
 
BARR: So Mark, are you happy? You don't see the need to change any of this? You think the Australian public support the way it is now?
 
BUTLER: Yeah, we think this is the right balance. Of course, we've cracked down on foreign ownership of our houses. I know Australians were worried about the degree to which foreign investors were bidding against Australians in home auctions, we've extended that ban. But for people who are here forever, who are raising their businesses, paying their taxes, building a career, raising children, we think they should enjoy the full Australian dream and we want to help them do that.
 
BARR: Mark -
 
HUME: Well, let's build more homes, Mark. Let's build more homes. This is a supply-side crisis, and yet you're fuelling demand by allowing non-citizens to access government-subsidised schemes. I don't think that's fair for Australian citizens.
 
BUTLER: They're here forever, Jane. They’re here forever. They've got to live somewhere.
 
HUME: But Australian citizens surely comes, but citizenship comes with privileges, and this is one of them. Subsidising a scheme like this with taxpayer money is one of the privileges of being a citizen, and I think most Australians would feel the same way.
 
BARR: Yeah, Mark, is there a difference, though? Should there be a difference and should there be a benefit if you are a citizen in this scheme? Obviously, you can buy a house, but having government benefits?
 
BUTLER: Jane fed this into the idea of the supply and demand balance that we all know is a question in housing. These people are here forever. They're having their children here. They're building their careers here. They're volunteering in their communities here. So why do we restrict them to the rental market and not let them enjoy the full Australian dream?
 
HUME: That's not true. They can buy a home. They can buy a home, but they can't do it with taxpayer subsidy.
 
BUTLER: Don’t pretend this is part of the supply question.
 
BARR: Yeah, Mark, I think that's the argument, isn't it? And that's what we're discussing this morning. The argument is, should they get government help to buy a home? And that's what we're asking people this morning.
 
BUTLER: And this is a divide between our two parties. Their taxes support things like this scheme. We think they should benefit from it. Their taxes fund the NDIS. We think if they suffer a catastrophic injury, they should be supported by the NDIS. Jane's party doesn't. This is a divide. But these people aren't here forever -
 
HUME: This is not the NDIS.
 
BUTLER: They're going to live their lives here forever. They're going to die here. They're raising their children here. We want them to enjoy the full scope of Australian dreams.
 
HUME: This is stopping Australian citizens buying homes because of a supply crisis of your making, and yet you're subsidising non-citizens into this scheme fuelling demand. That's a problem.
 
BARR: Is it, Mark? Are you taking people's chances who are Australian citizens from getting government help to buy a house?
 
BUTLER: This is in a week where Jane's party voted against our attempt to allow first-home buyers to go to auctions and not have to bid against investors that have the benefit of tax breaks.
 
HUME: Mate, this is a week you increased taxes. That's all you've done.
 
BUTLER: We want more first-home buyers into our housing market, particularly people who are going to live the rest of their lives here in Australia.
 
BARR: Okay, look everyone, there is a divide there on this issue. Tell us what you think. Thank you very much, both of your sides explained there today. We'll see you next week.