Page 2230 - Week 06 - Thursday, 6 June 2019
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MR BARR: If you look at the long run, as in over the last four or five years, we have in fact generally been above the national average in terms of our share of home owners entering the market. The reasons that there has been a dip largely relate to the banks clamping down on lending and certainly not being prepared to lend to people who have only a five per cent deposit. One contributing factor to people being unable to save both for a deposit and for stamp duty is that stamp duty is one of the biggest inhibitors. If you have to find a deposit and you are expected to pay significant stamp duty then it is very hard to get into the market.
What is one practical thing we could do to help first home owners to get over that hurdle? Let us get rid of stamp duty—and that is exactly what we are doing. Those opposite who profess to care about first home buyers and who ask questions like this want to slug them with stamp duty. That is the irony of this line of questioning. You are the party of stamp duty. You are the party that want people to have to borrow for their stamp duty and pay mortgage interest on that for the rest of their lives. That is what you want. That is your policy position.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, towards the end of Mr Barr’s answer I had trouble hearing him. There were two sides going at that end and two sides going at this end. Can you please refrain and have a bit of regard and respect?
Budget—housing and homelessness
MS CHEYNE: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development. Minister, what investments is the government making in public housing in this year’s budget?
MS BERRY: I thank Ms Cheyne for the question. Under the new housing strategy the ACT government is taking action to grow and renew public housing in the ACT. This investment begins in this year’s budget with the first $20 million of a $100 million investment. The program will build 1,200 new homes right across Canberra, including 200 extra homes to be made available for people who are in need of housing. This is the single largest per capita investment in public housing in the country. If this investment were being replicated nationally, we would see almost $6 billion invested into growing and renewing public housing.
This investment builds on the current renewal program, which will soon finish around 1,288 dwellings across Canberra—new, energy-efficient homes that better suit the needs of our tenants. Together the current renewal and the incoming growth and renewal programs will see around 20 per cent of our public housing replaced with new homes for our tenants over a period of 10 years. This year’s budget also allocates funding for Common Ground Dickson, which will provide 40 units of social and affordable housing for people who are experiencing chronic homelessness.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, how will this investment under the housing strategy affect the lives of current and future tenants?
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