Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Why does the government continue to try to blame everything and everyone but itself when it comes to rising interest rates? When will the Howard government actually do something about the crisis in housing affordability other than blame the states for it? Can the minister now confirm that the proportion of household income consumed by mortgage interest payments is 50 per cent higher than it was under former Treasurer Keating?