(Image: Private Media)

Housing is one of the biggest issues facing Australians right now, and politicians say they’re listening. Home ownership has been in decline for decades, and has fallen significantly for groups such as younger households and those on lower incomes. Solutions offered by the parties have focused on figuring out ways to help people pour more money into the housing market rather than addressing what’s making housing more expensive. 

It’s hard not to notice that Parliament looks very different from the electorate when it comes to home ownership. In 2021, two-thirds of households were inhabited by their owners. In the 47th Parliament, there are 510 properties owned by 227 federal members of Parliament (MPs). That’s an average of 2.25 properties per MP.

Multiple home ownership is overrepresented in federal Parliament; 144 MPs own more than one property. In fact, more MPs own three or more properties (84) than those who own one property or fewer (83). Many MPs own a second home in Canberra, investment properties and holiday homes.

Just 14 didn’t declare owning any property (that’s fewer than 16 MPs who own five or more properties).

Property ownership varies significantly by party. Independents own more properties than any other party, declaring 2.6 properties on average each. Then it’s MPs from the Coalition (2.4), Labor (2.3), the minor parties (2.1) and the Greens (1.3).

Crikey has created a list of members of the 47th Parliament and how many properties they own. Here’s MPs with five or more properties declared.

Crikey’s Landlord List as of September 7 2022

  • Liberal Party MP Nola Marino: 7 properties (1 residential)
  • Liberal Party MP Dan Tehan: 7 properties (2 residential, 1 “residential/investment”)
  • Liberal National Party MP Karen Andrews: 7 properties (1 residential)
  • Australian Labor Party MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah: 7 properties (all are listed as “residential/investment”)
  • Liberal Party MP Gavin Pearce: 6 properties (2 residential)
  • Liberal National Party MP Andrew Willcox: 6 properties (1 residential)
  • Australian Labor Party MP Tony Burke: 6 properties (2 residential)
  • Australian Labor Party MP Louise Miller-Frost: 6 properties (1 residential)
  • Australian Labor Party MP Brendan O’Connor: 6 properties (1 residential)
  • Liberal National Party MP Colin Boyce: 5 properties
  • Liberal National Party MP Scott Buchholz: 5 properties (2 residential)
  • Liberal National Party Senator Gerard Rennick: 5 properties (2 residential)
  • Independent MP Sophie Scamps: 5 properties (1 residential)
  • Independent MP Allegra Spender: 5 properties (1 residential, 2 “residential/investment”)
  • Australian Labor Party MP Tony Zappia: 5 properties (1 residential)
  • Australian Labor Party Senator Deborah O’Neill: 5 properties (2 residential)

Methodology

Information in this list is gleaned from the register of members’ interests (which includes spouses) and is updated as new declarations come in. This list is based on the register as of September 5 2022. Data contains some author interpretation due to inconsistent data entry by MPs.

Spot any errors or story tips? Email cwilson@crikey.com.au