In Sydney, the median price fell 0.6 per cent for the month to $1.563m. More than 260,000 homes have been purchased using the government’s 5 per cent first-home buyer scheme, she said. Ms Plibersek told Nationals leader Matt Canavan, appearing opposite, to calm down and “take a deep breath” at one point. National Party leader Matt Canavan says falling prices discourage owners from selling and hurts first-home buyers. The median price of a unit fell 0.2 per cent in July, while freestanding house prices came down 0.4 per cent.