Barnaby Joyce and One Nation senator Sean Bell have struggled to explain the party's housing policy in separate media appearances, with Joyce requesting a second TV segment to correct his initial claims and Bell being cut off during a radio interview described as a 'trainwreck'.
Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, Joyce initially said the policy would force permanent residents to sell their homes. After consulting colleagues, he returned to clarify that this was not the case, stating the policy applies only to foreign citizens who are not permanent residents. Sky host Andrew Bolt said the incident showed One Nation was 'literally making up policy as it goes along'.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson intervened on Friday, stating the policy would allow permanent residents to own homes but require 'foreign owners'—such as temporary visa holders—to sell properties within two years. However, Senator Bell could not explain what happens if the property is not sold during a 2GB interview, leading host Mark Levy to cut him off and advise him to 'get some clarity before this gets worse'.
One Nation's website states: 'We must stop the sale of property to non-residents and non-citizens.' Hanson told the Senate in 2024 that foreign owners should be given two years to sell up, and if not sold, the property would be repossessed by the federal government. Liberal senator Jane Hume also called Joyce's interview a 'trainwreck'.
