Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. Minister, regarding housing, how are negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts good?

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here it comes!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton will leave the chamber under 94(a). The time to interject is not when a minister is approaching the dispatch box.

The member for Moreton then left the chamber.

I want to hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, this is the second one that we've had today where a question is going to not the portfolio minister. The question doesn't actually go broadly to housing policy. It's very specifically on tax policy.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left. People are entitled to make points of order. Just as the opposition have, the crossbench are entitled to make points of order. I'll hear from the Leader of the Australian Greens.

Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, on the point of order, I have two points. Firstly, the opening words of the question were 'regarding housing'. Secondly, if it's the government's contention that negative gearing and capital gains tax discount do not have an impact on housing, then that is an extraordinary admission. That is an extraordinary statement.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't want to get into a situation where I'm ruling questions out because they're not directed to the relevant minister. But simply a broad statement about something that is not directly related to the minister's portfolio—it may touch on the work that happens in the portfolio, but, on the policy itself, under the standing orders that sort of question should go to the relevant minister responsible for that policy. The minister can answer the question if she wishes to. If she wishes to direct it, under the standing orders and practices, she may, to the minister who is relevant, which is not this minister. But she can take the first part of the question, as it was relating to housing.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do appreciate the question from the member for Brisbane. I would say to the member that all of the experts say, when it comes to housing, the real issue we have is about supply. Every time I ask the experts, they say, 'The answer is supply, supply, supply.' That's what we're getting on with doing. We have invested over $25 billion over the next decade of new money into housing and homelessness support because we understand that the answer is about supply. Indeed, the Housing Australia Future Fund is now up and established despite delays from those opposite taking their time to support the Housing Australia Future Fund. It will supply around 30,000 new social and affordable homes in the first five years of the fund and comes on top of the National Housing Accord, which is a further 10,000 affordable homes from the federal government, to be matched by the states with another 10,000. That's on top of the $2 billion in the Social Housing Accelerator, which will provide 4,000 new social homes right across the country. Indeed, our investments are around 50,000 additional homes that will be funded from the federal government as well as of our ambitious commitment to 1.2 million homes for which we are providing $3.5 billion for the states and territories to incentivise them to make the changes they need when it comes to planning and zoning reform to get more homes on the ground more quickly. We know that we have an issue with housing supply. The answer here is about adding to supply, and that is what we are getting on and doing.