Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) | Hansard source

The point that I'm making in relation to housing policy, which is what the honourable member asked me about, is that any combination or coalition of One Nation, the Liberals or the Nationals after the next election would mean a housing market that is less fair for first home buyers and for young people. It would mean a tax on superannuation, and it would mean a tax on wages as well. That's because—whether it's One Nation, the Liberals or the Nationals—they don't support first home buyers. They don't support superannuation, because they don't support working people. They only pretend to. When it comes to the assumptions in the budget, the assumptions from the Treasury in the budget are over the next couple of years, not over the first couple of months. That's the first point.

The second point is: be very careful about the way that numbers about rents have been used, particularly in recent days.

Thirdly, when it comes to house prices—and that was part of the honourable member's question—in the last decade we've seen, I think, at least seven occasions when house prices have come off a bit. I don't remember those opposite making a big deal out of the other six. They should know that, when it comes to the housing market, auction clearance rates and rents, there are a whole number of issues playing out. We know that because we saw some softening in the market before the budget as well.

So I genuinely welcome and am extremely grateful for the honourable member's question so that I can point out those facts to him.

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