Congratulations to Finland and Sweden in deciding to apply to join NATO. This needs to happen asap and will greatly enhance European security. Both countries have excellent armed forces (especially Finland) and will add much-needed strength to the alliance. 

Closer to home, by now many of you, like me, will have voted in the federal election, but many are still undecided and are yet to vote. I make the following observations. It has been a strange campaign with both sides not doing as well as they could. However, finally we have a real policy issue that matters to voters where the government and opposition have different positions. Now, any housing initiative that helps people get into their first home runs the risk of raising house prices but the benefits of helping young people especially, get into their own home usually outweighs any negatives. I don’t quite understand how the ALP policy works (and it seems Albo and Tanya Plibersek don’t either) but it seems to be restricted to 10,000 people. Morrison’s policy applies to a lot more people and allows buyers to access some of their super, which they have to pay back into their fund if and when they sell their first home. Unlike the ALP policy, this Coalition policy will cost the taxpayer nothing.

When you combine that with local Senator Zed Seselja’s announcement that the federal government will release 2,000 blocks of Commonwealth land in the ACT for houses, it makes the dream of owning your own home, in the ACT at least, all the more realistic. By releasing those blocks, house prices in the ACT, already peaking, should fall back in the next year or so, therefore making it possible for first home buyers to access the market.

Whether this makes any difference in voting – and it should – who knows? 

Which brings me to the final points to consider. 1. Australia had been well managed during Covid. We are doing better than any other major country. 2 ScoMo, like him or loathe him, has led the world in standing up to China and the AUKUS agreement is the most important security agreement since ANZUS. 3. Unemployment is at a record low of 4%. 4. We have the second best record in the world on decreasing our emissions (20% compared to single figures only in most of Europe and vastly increased figures in China, which emits over 30% of the world’s emissions, and rising, compared to our miniscule 1.06%  and falling. Do the maths). 

The fact is the government has been solid on most of the things that count. Albo has been a disappointment during the campaign with his inability to be across his brief. A PM must be across his brief. On balance, the Coalition is a much safer bet. I would say this to voters: Put the Coalition candidates first and if you can’t do that, vote Labor and whatever you do put the Greens last (google their policies, which in my view pose a clear and present danger to Australia).

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Canberra Daily.

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