Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Housing) Share this | Hansard source

Two hundred and thirty thousand people across the country were helped into first homeownership. Inexplicably, those opposite opposed this incredibly popular program. Why would this be? They have said that the five per cent deposit program will be used by the children of billionaires. Like Gina Rinehart's children are going to be buying an affordable home with a 95 per cent mortgage in the member for Dickson's electorate—yeah, right! They also call this a 'gimmick', and this is the one that really gets me. Let's call this for exactly what it is, and that is pure snobbery. How do you think it feels for someone like Matthew or the 230,000 other people who have needed this program to get into the market to be told that this is somehow a gimmick?

This program is one that helps the average first home buyer in our country go from having to save for 10 or 11 years to get into their first home all the way down to two or three years. Those are eight years that that young person is paying off their own mortgage rather than someone else's, and those opposite call it a gimmick. I want every one of the 1,660 Australians in the electorate of Farrer to know that we have helped them get into homeownership through a program that those opposite want to shut down. I want the 5,612 Australians supported in the member for La Trobe's electorate to know that he thinks that they must be the children of billionaires. And I want the 1,224 Australians in the member for Hume's electorate to know that, if it were up to him, then they would still be renting.

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