Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Wednesday, 25 August 2004) . . Page.. 4115 ..

It includes not only assistance for first home owners but also a restructuring of land tax. It makes sure that the ACT does not impose an exit tax or a capital gains tax. It makes sure that in the ACT we do not aggregate properties for the purposes of an increasing or progressive level of taxation applied to investment properties, which makes the ACT a much more attractive proposition for people to invest in and to provide stock for the rental market.

Again, let me, as I said, thank Mr Hargreaves for this small ray of sunshine in what I see as the fairly dark landscape of our day and yours, Mr Speaker.

MR CORBELL (Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (11.05): Mr Speaker, this is a very important motion from Mr Hargreaves, and I think all members have acknowledged that in their speeches in the chamber this morning. I think it is important to focus on some other elements of the government’s strategy in relation to housing affordability that have not yet been discussed this morning, in particular in relation to our land release program.

The government of course in the last budget—and no members have mentioned this yet—announced that, for the next five years, we will be releasing 100 blocks a year for lower income earners to be able to purchase their own block of land; that is 100 blocks per year. The government will be announcing shortly the details of how that scheme will be administered, but it will essentially be by a ballot. So lower income earners who meet an income testing measure—if they meet the criteria—will be eligible to enter the ballot. If they are successful in the ballot—because obviously there will be more interest than there will be parcels of land—they will be able to purchase the land at a significantly reduced price. That is a very important measure in improving housing affordability here in the ACT and is only possible of course because of the leasehold system and because of government activity in land development.

We will be looking very closely to make sure that these blocks are not all centred in one place in a suburb but are instead scattered throughout a variety of suburbs. Obviously they will be in new developments areas—because that is where raw land is available—but it is a very important measure in improving housing affordability.

There is, of course, a range of other measures that the government is working on and I hope that my colleague Mr Wood will be in a position to outline those to the Assembly very soon. But the important thing is that the government is working very closely on improving housing affordability.

I am quite astounded—and I am sure most members are—by the reference to assertions back in the 1950s, over half a century ago, that the Labor Party was anti-home ownership. This is 2004, Mr Speaker. This is about dealing with contemporary problems, not harking back to some tired, old, Cold War ideology that some members on the other side of the chamber might want to bring up in what is essentially a contemporary and very important debate. The government’s record is a strong one, as other members have outlined. The issues around stamp duty rebate are making a real difference in our community.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .