Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Bragg, can I first say that I don't know many kids of billionaires, but I would have thought they would hardly be the ones that would be focused on this kind of deposit, or otherwise there's a big issue in the family, I reckon! The point I'd make, senator, is that I think we all find it quite difficult to take seriously your criticisms of this policy, which is about trying to enable more first-home buyers to access the market, when you are standing in the way of more houses. It's as simple as that. You are standing in the way of more houses in this country. You have this bizarre position, Senator Bragg, where, on the one hand, you say, 'We don't actually want people to be helped into the market,' by focusing on some mythical billionaire's family, but all of the real people who are trying to get into the market and who this policy supports? You pretend to ignore them. Meanwhile you stand opposed to more housing supply in this country, which is the key to affordability.

Does anybody actually understand Senator Bragg's housing policy? Senator Bragg, your housing policy appears to be, 'Let's make sure we have fewer houses for Australians, and then let's make sure we complain about it.' That's your position. That's Senator Bragg and the coalition's housing policy: 'We'll stop houses. Then we'll complain about there not being enough houses.' I think the Australian people are onto you, and they know who is listening to their concerns, who is acting on their concerns and who is not.