Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Once again we see members opposite reducing this House to a talkfest about state governments. People in Australia expect this parliament to be a chamber of the great contest of ideas between this side and the other side to debate federal matters, matters which we were elected to discuss, and policies which we were elected to implement. Yet this government has reduced this debating chamber to a talkfest about state governments.

State issues are important. Local issues are important. That is why the Australian people pay for eight state and territory parliaments to debate state issues. If members opposite feel so strongly about state issues they are entitled at any point to run for preselection for the Liberal Party for their relevant state seats, but they do not. They do not get that the Australian people are sick of the blame game. They do not get that the Australian people are sick of this parliament being used for political pointscoring. We have a state election in New South Wales in a few weeks time and conveniently this motion came onto the books. They do not get that the Australian people are sick of this type of point-scoring.

The Australian people expect federal governments and state governments to work with each other. It is about time members opposite respected and understood the fact that there are eight state and territory Labor governments in this nation, and the Australian people do not expect the time of this parliament to be used to constantly shift blame and blame the states for every problem facing this nation. It is about time members opposite came into this House and took a bit of responsibility. If they feel that the opposition in New South Wales is doing such an appalling job at holding the New South Wales government to account then they should do something about it and not abuse the time of this parliament.

But I am happy to talk about the housing prices in Western Sydney and in Sydney generally. I am happy to talk about the relative impact of state and federal policies. I am happy to talk about people in Western Sydney losing their homes in record numbers because of the four interest rate increases since the last election. I am more than happy to talk about it. Ninety per cent of the 77 suburbs in south-western Sydney experienced falls in housing prices in the last financial year and 83 per cent of the 93 suburbs of greater Western Sydney represented by the member for Mitchell, the member for Greenway, me and many others have experienced the same. What are the impacts of this?

People who borrowed huge amounts of money and took John Howard at his word that interest rates would remain at record lows have seen the value of the houses they paid for fall. They now have negative equity. The impact of the last four interest rate increases is not just eating up more mortgage repayments but driving housing prices down across swathes of Western Sydney. Of course, we see people spending less because they now owe more on a house that is worth less, which is seeing higher unemployment.

We hear the member for Mitchell talk about state taxes. Stamp duty represents three per cent of the median dwelling price but interest rate increases have added nine per cent to mortgage repayments. In New South Wales, increased interest rates added $6,000 a year extra in mortgage repayments—and not a word from the member for Greenway, not a word from the member for Mitchell. Instead we see this talkfest attacking state governments. No wonder the Australian people are saying they have had enough of the blame game.

The member for Mitchell opines about the alleged lack of housing land releases in New South Wales. He would have some credibility if the federal government were engaged in urban affairs. He would have some credibility if the federal government had not abolished the department of housing and urban affairs on its election in 1996. The government would have had a right to talk about these things if they had become involved, but they vacated the field and now blame the state government.

Apparently not enough land has been released in New South Wales for the member for Mitchell. Apparently the 66,000 new homes in the north-west growth sector and the 115,000 homes in the south-west growth sector are not enough. They are completely out of touch with the Australian people, who expect governments to work with each other and not to blame each other. They are completely out of touch with the reduction in housing prices in Western Sydney, which do not benefit people trying to get into the housing market because they are also dealing with higher interest rates. They are completely out of touch when they come in here and use words such as ‘avaricious’, ‘callous’ and ‘criminal activity’ about the elected government in New South Wales. If the member for Mitchell feels that way, he should run for preselection for one of the state seats. He refuses to do so because it is easy to criticise but hard to contribute. (Time expired)

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