Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. Last week the minister said:

We see periods of very significant house price growth and then we see the market make a correction, and that's what we're seeing at the moment.

Does the minister know how many first homebuyers now owe more money than their home is worth?

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

I'm asked about the legislation that passed the parliament on Thursday. That legislation was about three really simple things. It was about giving every single worker in our country a tax cut, it was about levelling the playing field so first home buyers have the opportunity that they deserve and it was about building a fairer tax system for the country. Now, I've spoken to the parliament before about the Treasury modelling that supported these changes.

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

The Chief Government Whip will cease interjecting. The minister will pause. The manager on a point of order—get to the point of order.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) | Link to this | Hansard source

It goes to relevance. This question was very specific. There was a quote from the minister, and then the question was asking about first home buyers and negative equity. I would ask the minister to directly answer the question as she should.

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

The member for Macarthur will leave the chamber under 94(a). I'm not sure what's going on up the back there today with everyone just—you won't get away with anything in this chamber, no matter where you're sitting.

The member for Macarthur then left the chamber.

Order. The minister was asked about her quote and about the policy. You asked her to be answering the question directly. I can make her be directly relevant. I'm just giving her some guidance here to make sure she's not talking about the opposition policy and she's talking about her policy, which she was doing, regarding the legislation and the modelling. That's where she's up to with her answer. So you've interrupted perhaps at the wrong time; she's being directly relevant at this time.

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

He has interrupted at the wrong time, because I was being directly relevant to the question. I'm talking about the Treasury modelling that supported the tax changes in the budget that show that, over time, house prices in Australia will continue to increase just a little bit more slowly than they otherwise would have. We're talking about two percentage points difference.

I can see that those opposite place no particular weight on the changes that our government is making to address a broken housing market for our country. In fact, day after day—

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance.

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

You've already taken your point of order. You shouldn't have wasted it earlier.

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

The minister doesn't need to give commentary about what's happening in the chamber. I can take care of that. It's fine. The Manager of Opposition Business?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is defying your ruling. There is no way that the opposition is in any way relevant to this question about negative equity.

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

If the minister can conclude her answer, it's probably going to assist the House—or be directly relevant. I don't want to sit her down, but, if she has got nothing else to say, she should think about winding up her answer. We can't be here all day taking these points of order from the opposition, and we'll move to the next question.

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

I understand completely. The tax changes that I was asked about are going to help 75,000 rental households into first homeownership. Those opposite may place no particular weight on that, but we are proud of that change, and it's an important one for our country.