By Will Nicholas in Canberra

Whether home buyers should be able to raid their retirement savings for a deposit remains a thorn in the coalition’s side.

The policy accompanied the opposition to its last two unsuccessful election campaigns, but may be abandoned after Liberal backbencher Garth Hamilton claimed most of his colleagues want it gone.

“He’s running around, obviously counting numbers on these things – it’s not my focus,” shadow treasurer Tim Wilson told ABC TV on Tuesday in response to Mr Hamilton’s comments.

The Liberal frontbencher has supported examining ways to empower home-buyers with early super access.

“I fundamentally believe in home ownership and young Australians being able to get into the market to own their own home, because that has benefits in their working life and their retirement,” he said.

“I would be shocked if there was another Liberal in the country who didn’t share that view.”

Opening up super balances could help prevent Australia becoming a nation of retired renters, according to Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg.

“What we want to try and do here is make sure that we align the housing systems with the retirement and super systems,” he told ABC Radio.

“The best form of secure retirement is a house, and so that’s why it (superannuation policy) has been under review.”

Senator Bragg is the coalition’s chief advocate for pension reform and in September suggested putting up super as collateral to help secure a home deposit.

Speaking hours before the Reserve Bank’s likely fifth cash rate rise of 2026, tied to stubborn inflation, the senator rejected suggestions early access to retirement savings would fuel more price hikes.

“I’m not convinced that people paying down debts and reducing mortgages can be inflationary,” he said.

Senator Bragg said Mr Hamilton was entitled to his view and that the opposition was still mulling over its policy.

Mr Hamilton on Sunday said he had told Opposition Leader Angus Taylor he wanted to leave super alone, but he had not pressed the Liberal leader on the issue.

“It’s Australians’ money to invest as they see fit, and we’ll say more about our policies on superannuation as we approach the election,” Mr Taylor told reporters on Monday.

“This all goes through our appropriate processes, and it will be the same for that issue.”

The cracks are forming days after One Nation unsuccessfully tried to tack its own superannuation changes to tax reform before parliament on Thursday.

Mr Hamilton is one of the Liberals’ arch attack-dogs against the minor party, who pitched a plan to allow cash-strapped workers to pocket three per cent of their compulsory super contributions for three years.

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