Australia was settled on the idea of a classless, egalitarian community in which everyone could be landowners. And the authoritarian NIMBYs are unwinding this dream before our very eyes.

‍

The Australian dream of owning a home is slipping further out of reach for the next generation. In today’s Australia, the average young person has about as much chance of owning a home as they do of getting a straight answer out of Jim Chalmers. This wasn’t just a mistake; it was a deliberate decision by a generation of bureaucrats and policymakers to ensure the NIMBYs got what they wanted. So, a continent that should have the most affordable housing in the world instead has the most expensive.

‍

This was caused by the choices of an unelected, unaccountable army of central planners and power-hungry state governments. Collectively, these “Gatekeepers” took it upon themselves to decide when and where—if ever—you get to build your home. The Gatekeepers took away your control and gave it to themselves without even asking. Now it is time to take back control.

‍

While Labor, the Greens, and Teal wax lyrical about building more homes, they’re not really talking about homeownership. They aren’t serious about reforming the system to make it work for you. They want you to pay for homes that they can build and own and then rent to you. Does that make sense? Their vision of building more homes is primarily about government, big business, and industry super funds owning them—hardly the vision of a classless, egalitarian country we were promised. It’s as if they’ve taken a page from 1980s Soviet housing policy, minus the charm of Khrushchyovkas.

‍

Let’s not kid ourselves: widespread homeownership is the backbone of a strong middle class and a stable democracy. When people own homes, they have a stake in their community and their future. They’re less likely to embrace extreme ideologies and more likely to care about responsible governance. But try explaining that to a generation locked out of the housing market by bloated government agencies that work off planning laws that only ever build stacks of bureaucratic paper.

‍

Here’s a tip for anyone dreaming of owning a home: you might want to start by buying a tent. It’s about the only dwelling you’ll be able to erect without needing a permit signed in triplicate, a 12-month environmental impact study, and the approval of half a dozen local NIMBYs.

‍

Meanwhile, as first-time buyers hoping to start a family are reduced to bidding wars over shoebox apartments, the real winners are those same Gatekeepers and the NIMB, who profit from the complex system they’ve created.

‍

The losers? Ordinary, hard-working Australians who just want a fair go.

‍

So, next time you hear a Labor, Green, or Teal politician talk about building homes, remember this: they’re not building homes for you. They’re building investments for industry super, developers, cushy jobs for bureaucrats, and votes for themselves. It’s time we took back control, tore down the Gatekeepers’ wall, and reclaimed the Australian dream before it’s too late.

‍

Join Australians for Prosperity today, and let’s fight to make homeownership a reality for every Australian. Together, we can reclaim the dream.

‍