One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has moved to contain the fiscal fallout of her party’s controversial housing proposal, insisting that the cost of offering 5 per cent fixed-rate mortgages is capped at $11.5 billion.
The assertion directly contradicts earlier warnings from economists, who estimated the taxpayer-funded scheme could expose the federal government to losses running into the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Despite Hanson’s attempt to clarify the financial parameters, the policy’s standing within the party remains in question.
Barnaby Joyce, a senior figure in One Nation, stated that the 5 per cent loan plan is not official party policy.
This internal disagreement undermines the proposal’s credibility as a coherent legislative agenda and suggests significant friction within the party’s leadership over its economic platform.
The dispute emerges against a backdrop of intense political pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia.