Page 114 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 8 February 2022
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concessions is blocking hundreds of thousands of people from the housing market. This continues to have flow-on effects for rental affordability in the private market and the waiting lists for those waiting for public housing. These are two immediate policy changes that the federal government could enact that would put downward pressure on house prices across the market and across the country.
Why I find it so frustrating, Madam Speaker, is that I, unlike Mr Parton, do not question his personal commitment to ending homelessness. I will not come in here and, for a cheap political headline, use words like “heartless”, “gutless” and “lack of care”. I will not say that. I am not—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR DAVIS: I will stand by that. I do not question that not one of the 25 members in this place gets any joy out of seeing those in our community suffering from housing stress. I know there are many people in this space who, through the course of their life, or people that they love, have experienced housing stress.
What I continue to find so frustrating, and that I imagine many in the community find so frustrating, is that until each and every one of the members of this place and other similar places is prepared to be honest about the full policy complexity of the challenge, and while they continue to isolate their conversations, their criticisms and their commentary to areas where they can capitalise or seek to capitalise on making a political argument, they are taking the electorate for granted. You are not being intellectually honest with people when you are trying to articulate the problem.
Do I think we are building enough houses? No, because I wanted to build a thousand. It was all over my flyers when I ran for election for this place. But our two-party government is one of compromise, and we are building 400. I am incredibly proud of that because I am proud of the 400 families for whom that will provide secure, long-term housing. I am proud of the hard work that Minister Berry and Minister Vassarotti, as the ministers responsible in government for delivering this reform, have done to achieve that.
I am also proud that my colleagues in the federal parliament continue to advocate for immediate policy changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions. I would strongly encourage all members of the opposition to take up Minister Vassarotti on her offer to sign that letter and to make it very clear to your federal colleagues that you demand change in the policy space federally.
Until you do that, the Canberra community must know that you cannot be taken seriously on the question of housing affordability. You are picking and choosing your numbers, picking and choosing your evidence, and picking and choosing your talking points to make a political point. It is unhelpful, and we would really appreciate your constructive help.
MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (4.57): I was not going to speak to this motion, but I want to respond to some of the comments that were made by Mr Davis. He said, “Name-calling is not helpful.” Then he said, “You are all pathological and not
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