Page 1985 - Week 07 - Thursday, 13 August 2020

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government has committed $61 million to build more public houses in the ACT. I note that, once again, the Liberals have no policy regarding public housing.

In conclusion, the ACT government recognises the importance of affordable housing, and it will continue to work to deliver it. We will build more social housing, and we will continue to release land for new houses in a considered, sustainable manner. I encourage the Canberra Liberals to release their own policy for land release, rather than continue to demonstrate their own hypocrisy. I commend this amendment to the Assembly.

MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (4.05): This has become very complicated and, so that I do not forget to do it, I move my amendment to Ms Berry’s proposed amendment of Mr Coe’s motion:

Insert new paragraph (1A) before paragraph (1):

“(1A) notes, regarding the cost of housing in Canberra:

(a) the ACT has a unique ability to control traditional state government and local council levers;

(b) the median price of detached houses in Canberra rose as follows:

(i) 2012—$483 000;

(ii) 2016—$623 000; and

(iii) 2020—$819 000; and

I am going to start by taking the opportunity to strongly rebut Minister Gentleman’s comments about me and the Greens in terms of public housing and affordable housing in the debate on the call-in about Common Ground. The Greens have supported public housing forever. The Greens still support public housing; I still support public housing.

Members may be aware that the first major election initiative we announced was a $451 million package, which is focused on affordable housing and public housing. I also note a motion—a motion that you will remember, Mr Assistant Speaker—to ensure that the rate of public housing in the ACT did not fall below the current rate. Unfortunately, while that was passed by the Assembly it was not voted for by the Labor members, and I think they should probably consider their commitment to public housing as well.

As has been noted, this is the third consecutive sitting week that Mr Coe has put forward a motion about the cost of housing. I think that this is a better motion than his earlier ones. It does not try to blame the ACT government entirely for the inevitable consequences of federal government decisions over the last 30 years. The key decisions that have led Australia to a housing affordability crisis are, firstly, the introduction of the capital gains tax discount, which led to rampant and destructive house price growth across the country; secondly, the setting of government benefits at cruelly low levels; thirdly, the slashing of federal funding which allowed state and

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