Parliament

Ministers statements: housing affordability

Mr Previous DocumentPALLASNext Hit (Treasurer) — I rise to update the house on the recent release of Homes for Victorians, a policy about making — —

Honourable members interjecting.

Questions and statements interrupted.

SUSPENSION OF MEMBER

Member for Kew

The SPEAKER — Order! The member for Kew has been warned a number of times. I ask him to leave the chamber for 1 hour under standing order 124.

Honourable member for Kew withdrew from chamber.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE and MINISTERS STATEMENTS

Ministers statements: housing affordability

Questions and statements resumed.

Mr Previous HitPALLASNext Hit (Treasurer) — I rise to update the house on the recent release of Homes for Victorians, a policy about making housing accessible for everyday Victorians. We are making changes to stamp duty which are expected to help 25 000 Victorians find their first home, with an average saving of around about $8000. We are also doubling the regional first home owners grant to $20 000 to assist thousands of regional Victorians to get their foot in the door. There will be more housing stock into the market, simpler planning processes, support for social housing and the revitalisation of public housing stock. Perhaps best of all, modelling shows that this package will deliver net benefits of $3.7 billion and 50 000 jobs in the construction industry.

This policy has been welcomed by a wide range of stakeholders. Perhaps the best endorsement we received was on the benefit of stamp duty reduction:

… a real saving on tax that goes straight to the pockets of the first home buyer.

Mr Riordan interjected.

The SPEAKER — Order! The member for Polwarth!

Mr Previous HitPALLASNext Hit — That is exactly what we have done, so of course the member for Malvern must be a very big fan of our policy. Even the federal Treasurer was heaping praise on our shared equity scheme — ‘Good on them’, he said. But while we are making it easier for people to own their own home, the Liberals are making it harder for people to earn a living. We do not patronise first home buyers, and we do not ignore renters or those in community housing. Instead we get to work, and we are getting it done.

Honourable members interjecting.

The SPEAKER — Order! The member for Malvern!

Mr Previous HitPALLASNext Document — We are delivering real accessible housing for all Victorians.

Questions and statements interrupted.