Page 1545 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 7 May 2008
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but, on the other hand, in response, I am sure, to our well-received announcement in relation to stamp duty, we see him rushing to be seen to be doing something about it and in fact rushing to suddenly get more land onto the market. I will come back to the contradictions in the Chief Minister’s arguments in a moment.
The Canberra Liberals have put a very significant promise on the table. Our promise is that, if you are a first homebuyer and you purchase a home for under $500,000, you will not pay a cent of stamp duty. We believe it is the right policy; we believe it is a policy that will benefit thousands of young Canberrans.
Mr Barr: Yes, most particularly those on massive incomes too.
MR SESELJA: We have the interjection from Mr Barr. Mr Barr seems to be agreeing with the sentiments expressed by the Chief Minister earlier that most first homebuyers and most of the people who are going to benefit from this policy are somehow wealthy or well off or not deserving of tax relief.
Mr Barr: Everyone on an income up to $120,000 can benefit from the existing scheme, Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: We will come to the joke of an existing scheme that you have got going at the moment; we will come to that, Mr Barr. There is a level of embarrassment here on the part of the government at how pathetic their scheme is. We saw the little acknowledgement in the budget in that they upped the income test to $120,000 and there may have been an incremental increase. Maybe Mr Barr can tell us what the incremental increase is when people’s house price is too high. We know that until now it has been $310,000 before the stamp duty exemption starts cutting out and we know that until recently it was around $100,000 combined income.
If you can find me a significant number of families who are in a position to purchase a home and who have a family income of less than $100,000 and can find a home for less than $310,000, then that is who is getting the full benefit under this mob. And how much do they get?
Mr Barr interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: This conversation across the floor cannot continue. Mr Seselja, direct your comments through me. Ignore Mr Barr’s disorderly interjections.
Mr Barr: I apologise.
MR SESELJA: Thank you, Mr Speaker. In general terms, they are not referring to anyone in the chamber at the moment. I would say this government is extraordinarily touchy on this issue and we have seen just how touchy and how embarrassed they are at the level of assistance that they are giving to first homebuyers. We hear the Chief Minister constantly beating his chest about his concern for first homebuyers, but his concern for first homebuyers does not stretch to actually reducing the outrageous levels of taxation that most of them are being forced to pay.
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