Anti-development campaigners are "a cancer" that should be excised, the Liberal Party's housing spokesman says, opening up a new front in the coalition's internal policy debate.
In a key speech to the conservative-leaning Centre for Independent Studies, opposition housing spokesman Andrew Bragg warned the price of buying a first home in Australia was too high and outlined a series of measures to get more dwellings on the market.
"I believe we have to fight for housing. This is a national emergency," he said on Monday.
Senator Bragg also took aim at so-called "NIMBYs" - people who don't want new housing developments built in their suburbs.
The expression stands for "not in my backyard" and has triggered a new pro-development wave of "YIMBYs" - or "yes in my backyard".
Senator Bragg urged the Liberals to be "unabashed YIMBYs" who put the construction of homes at the core of their policy platform.
"NIMBYism is a cancer. We cannot abide it in the centre-right," he said.
He also outlined his views on the link between immigration and housing supply, as Opposition Leader Sussan Ley prepares to announce the principles governing the party's migration policy.
"Cutting migration will not singularly fix the housing crisis, but reducing it will help demand and should be considered," Senator Bragg said.
He also pushed for a greater focus on bringing in skilled migrants from overseas, saying Australia needs an extra 80,000 tradies.
A poll published on Monday shows the proportion of voters who believe Australia is accepting too many migrants is growing, from 49 per cent in September to 53 per cent in December.
The Resolve survey revealed 64 per cent of voters would back a pause on immigration until the nation's housing situation caught up, while just 13 per cent were against the move.
Support for the coalition has also cratered to a record low primary vote of 26 per cent, according to the poll published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age.
On a two-party-preferred measure, Labor is now ahead 55-45.
The poll found a record 14 per cent of voters would now put One Nation first on their ballot paper, a two-point increase for the anti-immigration party.
