Page 4183 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 21 September 2011
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MS BRESNAN: What evidence do you have to show that the ACT government’s 2007 affordable housing strategy has decreased measures of housing stress for low income households?
MR BARR: There are a number of indices that are released by a variety of different government agencies and a number of different private sector organisations that report on affordability.
Ms Le Couteur: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Le Couteur.
Ms Bresnan: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, Mr Barr actually did not answer the question I asked. My question was: what evidence do you have to show that the ACT government’s 2007 affordable housing strategy has decreased measures of housing stress for low income households? He did not actually answer the question.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Barr, do you wish to add anything?
MR BARR: I repeat what I said: there are a number of different indices and measures reported by government agencies and by private sector agencies that are publicly available and that do report regularly in relation to the issues that Ms Bresnan has raised.
Mr Seselja: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: I actually had given the call to Ms Le Couteur, and then I will come to you, Mr Seselja.
MS LE COUTEUR: Minister, is the ACT government concerned about the impacts of negative gearing and capital gains tax exemptions on affordable housing and, if yes, what steps have you taken to make the commonwealth aware of your concerns?
MR BARR: I think it would depend on the nature of the changes that are proposed. Generally speaking, those tax savings do aid the supply of properties into the rental market, so a withdrawal of those concessions would, in fact, have a negative impact.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary.
MR SESELJA: Minister, on the figures you use, what proportion of Canberra families are experiencing housing stress?
MR BARR: Those figures are reported, I believe, on a quarterly basis by the Real Estate Institute of Australia. As I understand it, the most recent data showed that ACT households required the least amount of both their household income and their disposable income to meet their housing payments.
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