Barbara Pocock (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Housing. House prices across the country are out of control. Prices are rising at their fastest pace in more than two years. It's scary out there. National home values rose by one per cent in the single month of October and 6.1 per cent over the year. More renters and first home buyers are being pushed into housing stress and into overcrowded share houses and longer commutes. The government's own policies are turbocharging the housing crisis. Labor's failure to reform the 181 billion tax breaks going to wealthy property investors and your five per cent deposit scheme are pitching first home buyers against a rising tide of speculative investors at auctions. First home buyers don't stand a chance. Minister, why are you choosing to back wealthy property investors' and banks' profits over first home buyers'?