The Housing Institute of Australia said with the housing market still too tight and restrictions to negative gearing and capital gains<\/a> tax forecast to lead to 35,000 fewer homes being built over the next 10 years, numbers were heading in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n “As population growth continues and housing demand remains elevated, the industry needs policy settings that align investment incentives with supply objectives, not work against them,” managing director Jocelyn Martin said.<\/p>\n Labor’s other investments in housing in this budget will add 65,000 new homes, with the budget expecting a net increase of 30,000 homes.<\/p>\n Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said the government had repeatedly missed its migration targets.<\/p>\n “That excessive migration is causing problems with housing. It’s causing problems in our health care system. It’s causing problems with our infrastructure, and it’s out of control,” Senator Hume told Sky News.<\/p>\n Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the higher migration rate reflected more temporary migrants staying longer, rather than more people arriving in Australia.<\/p>\n But he added that migration was returning to normal levels.<\/p>\n “Net overseas migration has actually come down 45 per cent from its [post-pandemic] peak,” Mr Chalmers said.<\/p>\n “There is a little bit of volatility in those numbers, but we see volatility in other forecasts as well.”<\/p>\n Jim Chalmers says migration figures jump around but ultimately have been trending down since the pandemic. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)<\/p>\n The treasurer said there were measures included in the budget to put downward pressure on migration rates, including a decision to prioritise migrants already in the country for places in Australia’s permanent migration program.<\/p>\n Temporary visa holders remain the largest migrant group adding to the population, most commonly international students, despite measures to soften student immigration<\/a> introduced by the federal government last term.<\/p>\n Nationals leader Matt Canavan said student visas should be tightened.<\/p>\n “They have got to deal with this student visa scam,” Senator Canavan said.<\/p>\n “Our universities are being used as a conduit to citizenship, not as an institution that teaches.<\/p>\n “But this government is doing nothing to settle that problem.”<\/p>\n Matt Canavan says migration should be slashed, particularly international student rates. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/57512b0fbc353999d92f07b8d4bb57d4.jpeg\")
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