Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just choose one, colleagues. I move:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that the assertions by:

(i)   the Assistant Treasurer (Ms O'Dwyer) that reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions would force up house prices, and

(ii)   the Prime Minister (Mr Turnbull) that reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions would force down house prices; and

(b)   calls on the Government to clarify which house price scare campaign it wishes to proceed with.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave has been granted for one minute.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is a ridiculous stunt and will not be supported by the government. Labor wants to rip away a once in a lifetime opportunity for families to get ahead by investing in a property. Around two-thirds of those who declared a net rental loss in 2012-13 had a taxable income of $80,000 or less and 72 per cent of claims were a net rental loss of $10,000 or less. There are 10 times more negative-gearers who are nurses, teachers and Defence Force personnel than those who are surgeons and anaesthetists—more than 100,000 claimants compared with fewer than 10,000. Under Labor, investors accessing negative gearing will now only have the option of going to the new home market and, if they happen to be a first home buyer, they will be competing with all of them.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I also seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave has been granted for one minute.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ryan, I acknowledge that this motion is somewhat tongue in cheek but the issue is extraordinarily serious. Senator Ryan has just done a game on his colleagues in the other place from the Prime Minister down. Any time questions around concessions for housing, housing affordability or homelessness—any of the issues that the opposition have raised and any of the issues the Greens have raised—are brought to the floor of this chamber or the other you step up for investors—families, mums and dads, but always for investors. You have no way of seeing the situation through the eyes of people who are homeless or renting, the entire generation who have been priced out of affordable housing. You just did it again, Senator Ryan. You had a perfect opportunity to tell us that you actually care about housing affordability and that you intend to do something about it, but you will not and that is why you are losing this debate. It is time you told us what your plans are for housing affordability.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 1050 be agreed to.