Reports reveal that opposition leader Peter Dutton owns $30 million in property, and good for him.

However, both major political parties are using international education as a weapon in the upcoming elections. Yet, the question remains—is Australia’s housing crisis real, or is it an engineered scarcity designed to preserve inflated property values?

The government continues to block international investment in property development, and approval processes for new dwellings drag on for years. If there were a true housing crisis, wouldn’t policymakers be expediting approvals and encouraging construction to increase supply? Instead, it appears that the system is rigged to protect the existing wealth of property owners, ensuring that house prices remain artificially high.

At the same time, no party seems to be discussing the impact of working holiday visa holders, who now make up about 35% of the international student population. Unlike international students—who pay exorbitant tuition fees, contribute significantly to the economy, and often bring funds from their home countries—working holiday makers pay minimal visa fees and don’t inject the same level of capital into Australia.

Yet, despite contributing far less, working holidaymakers take up jobs and housing at a disproportionate rate. They have no restrictions on working hours, while international students are capped at 48 hours per fortnight. On top of that, they are taxed at a lower rate. The result? They undercut students in the labour market and secure more accommodation, exacerbating the very issues that international students are constantly blamed for.

The real question is: Why is the government silent on this imbalance? If the problem was truly about housing and economic contribution, the focus would be on creating solutions—accelerating housing approvals, encouraging responsible international investment, and ensuring fair competition in the job market. Instead, we see a deliberate deflection.

Is it time to question whether the so-called “housing crisis” is just a political tool to maintain the wealth of property investors at the expense of international students and young renters?

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