Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Energy Security and Affordability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to start by thanking the previous speaker for the clarity and decency in which she has addressed that issue and called for unity. I thank her for her leadership on it.

Australia has always been the place of the fair go. We don't ask for much in Australia; we're willing to put up with all sorts of hardships that are just part of our way of life. Whether you're like my side of the family that came in the Second Fleet or my wife's side who came after Second World War, everyone who's come here has looked to contribute to and be part of that process of giving a fair go to each other. When people need a hand up, we're there. We want to demonstrate that compassion for each other. I think it's such an important part of the Australian story. It's why people want to come here. It's why people want to migrate here. We're a good country because we're good to each other. But in recent times things have changed.

In part, I want to speak to one particular issue, which is the issue of immigration and its impact upon housing in Australia. I say that Australians don't ask for much. We just want a fair go. When it comes to access to housing, when it comes to affordability of rent in Australia, that fair go has been slipping away, particularly from the young generation, who just want to get on the property ladder, and from renting pensioners, who are in the golden age of their life and are watching those years get squeezed out as the cost of everything goes up and rents push up whilst they're on a fixed income. I think of those two groups in particular; I don't think they're getting a fair go. I don't think they're getting a fair go in Australia. That's what I hear. I'm sure that every member of this House, when they go out and talk to those demographics in the community, hears the same thing. They want to see change on this.

Unfortunately, in the budget last night, one of the things that I think particularly hurt both those demographics was that line on page 158 of Budget Paper No. 1 that said that the tax changes that were being brought about in that budget paper would result in 35,000 fewer houses being built by the private sector. That is not a fair go; that is making things worse for those groups. A conversation on tax changes is fine, but, if it results in a downward pressure on supply, that is a terrible outcome. It's an outcome that's going to hurt Australians.

So it's no surprise that already what we've seen in the Courier Mail's lead-up and the press around the announcements that will be coming out tonight in our reply to this budget have been met with excitement across all Australians, particularly those two demographics. The idea that we will tie migration numbers to housing supply is sensible. It's a sensible response that says to Australians: 'We understand the pressures you're having trying to get into the housing market and what rent prices are doing to your standard of living. We want a fair go for Australians.' That's a very sensible, credible position. I'm looking forward to the rest of it in Angus Taylor's response tonight.