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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has stepped in to clarify her party’s policy on foreign ownership of residential property, after a “train wreck” interview on Thursday evening in which MP Barnaby Joyce had to re-record his response.
However, even after Hanson’s intervention One Nation senator Sean Bell, who had been sent out to patch up Joyce’s error, was unable to explain the policy in a radio appearance that was cut short so the MP could make his own calls on the policy.
As clarified by Hanson via a Facebook post on Friday morning, One Nation would seek to force foreign owners to sell their residential properties within two years of the policy’s introduction. Permanent residents would not be forced to sell.
“Australian homes should be prioritised for Australians. One Nation makes no apologies for putting Australians first,” Hanson wrote.
Appearing on 2GB on Friday morning, Bell repeatedly failed to explain whether foreign owners would have their property seized after the two-year period.
“That is an excellent question, but what we’re saying, and it is perfectly reasonable to expect that homes in Australia go to Australian citizens,” Bell responded.
“It’s very simple. What happens is that, again, this look, it’s a fair question to ask,” Bell said, before host Mark Levy asked: “So what’s the answer?”
“The answer is that this is going to be, this policy is one that’s being brought forward and investigated.”
Levy said the interview was “turning into a train wreck” and that Bell should “go and get some clarity before this gets worse”.
“You can’t come on the radio and say: ‘We’re going to give people two years to divest their property’ and then not answer the question … Go back and get an answer, and come back to me,” Levy said.
On Thursday evening, Joyce appeared on Sky News’ program The Bolt Report and was twice asked whether permanent residents were counted as foreign owners, and twice said they did.
Following the interview, Joyce made a series of phone calls before requesting to re-record his answer to the question, ultimately saying that permanent residents would not be barred from holding residential property, or forced to sell their properties.
“This policy is formative,” Joyce said in his second response, “but on further investigation and discussions with One Nation, no, we are not going to be kicking permanent residents out of their house.”
The interview was described as a “train wreck” by deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume, who said this was not out of character for Joyce, a man she described as “a bag of tricks”.
“It’s a slogan, it’s not a policy, it’s got no substance behind it. And the idea that they would have different messages about whether they were going to kick permanent residents out of their home, I find that extraordinary, very disturbing,” Hume told Sky News.
During an earlier appearance on Sky alongside Bell, Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie lambasted the policy, saying: “I could have a view if I knew what One Nation’s view was.
“It’s still a little confusing because we do know there are people that reside overseas who also own property here in Australia. I think it’s important that if you’re going to change those rules, that you need to grandfather existing provisions because otherwise we actually undermine contractual law in this country.”
Asked whether the party’s policy meant foreigners with properties in Australia would be forced to sell their homes, Bell said: “So it’s going to depend on the type of visa they’re on.
“We need to look at making sure those, you become Australian citizens, or they are required to make sure those homes become available for Australia. We believe that homes should benefit Australians first.”
Pressed again on what groups of non-citizens would be included, Bell told Sky News: “So, again, it’s going to depend on what type of visa you have.
In response to a question on whether the party was ready to govern, Bell said: “I really appreciate the hard questions, and I think what it shows is we’re prepared to have these tough conversations.”
In a comment responding to her Facebook post, Hanson said voters would be grateful to Joyce for having corrected the record, and would “rather see politicians be upfront and do this instead of lying to avoid embarrassment”.
Foreign owners hold around 40,000 residential properties across the country, according to the Australian Taxation Office. There were just under 11 million dwellings in the country when the last census was collected in 2022.
Under current regulation, temporary residents and foreign citizens are banned from purchasing established dwellings in Australia, with a few exceptions. They can purchase new or “near-new” dwellings, established dwellings if they intend to redevelop, off-the-plan properties and vacant residential land.
Nick Newling is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
Emily Kaine is a national news blogger at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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