The political debate over housing affordability and ownership will continue into next year after the Coalition and Greens voted to delay action on one of the Albanese Government’s key housing policies until April. Source: The Age.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced about 40,000 people will receive substantial government contributions to help them buy a home.
Housing Minister Julie Collins yesterday introduced legislation for the Help to Buy scheme, under which the Government will contribute up to 40 per cent of a new home’s value for 40,000 low-to-middle-income buyers.
In a Senate vote, the Coalition and Greens voted to extend a committee reporting deadline on the legislation until April, two months later than the Government wanted.
Ms Collins criticised the Coalition for joining with the Greens to delay the housing bill.
“We want to help more Australians buy a home, the only thing they want to buy is more time to grandstand. We want to open the door to more Australians owning a home, but they just want to slam it shut,” she said in Question Time.
Opposition housing spokesman Michael Sukkar said the Coalition would closely consider the legislation, but said such schemes were not a broad solution to the housing crisis.
“Labor’s underwhelming Help to Buy is too little, too late, which relies on the states and territory governments to roll out the scheme,” he said.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said the shared equity scheme was inadequate and could make the housing crisis worse. He said the party would closely examine the legislation in the committee inquiry process.
FULL STORY
Property values set to plateau but political housing stoush continues (By Rachel Clun, The Age)
