Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

The National Rental Affordability Scheme was introduced in 2008. It was going to solve the affordable housing problem by providing a total of 50,000 dwelling units around the country. By 2012, the Gillard government had seen the deficiency in the scheme and revised the 50,000 figure back to 35,000 dwellings. The plan was to provide financial incentives to invest in rental housing which would be affordable for low- and fixed-income families. In effect, the scheme provided an opportunistic incentive to construct low-cost blocks of small, one-bedroom units near student campuses for investors, many from overseas, to purchase and rent to domestic and international students. In the end, it has done little to meet the need for low-cost housing for low- and fixed-income people. One Nation believes that subsidies are better targeted directly to those who need it and not as costly incentives to developers and investors. The continuation of the scheme, which has done little to improve housing affordability for families and pensioners, cannot be supported.

Question agreed to.