Arabic version: الائتلاف يطرح خيارات لاستخدام التقاعد في تملّك المنازل

According to ABC News, the Coalition is considering ways superannuation could be used to support home ownership, including using savings as collateral for a loan or withdrawing money for a house deposit or mortgage repayment. Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg is expected to raise the options in a speech to the Financial Services Council, while the opposition has not announced a formal policy.

Bragg said the Coalition wanted to consider whether super could help people buy a home before retirement. He said options could include keeping money in the super system as collateral or an offset, or taking funds out for a first-home loan or to pay off a mortgage. He said no particular solution was being advocated at this stage.

The Coalition took a policy to the past two elections that would have allowed people to withdraw up to $50,000 from super for a house deposit. Bragg said a credible criticism was that people in their mid to late 30s were more likely to have accumulated that amount, meaning the approach might not significantly assist younger people.

The discussion follows One Nation’s proposal to let people retain 3 per cent of salary otherwise directed to super for three years to help pay rent or a mortgage. Labor has criticised that policy. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the Coalition and One Nation were “coming after super” and argued changes would hurt retirement incomes. Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson said home ownership should take precedence as a primary economic interest for retirement and working life, citing an increase in people reaching retirement without owning a home.