Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is the . Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison-McCormick government's plan to help Australians achieve their goal of owning their own home and create more jobs is working for our regions, and is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mallee for her question. The Morrison government is a government of homeownership. Indeed, the Liberal and National parties have always been the parties of homeownership and the parties that fight for first home buyers. Because of the measures put in place by the Morrison government, we now see first home buyer levels at their highest for nearly 15 years. Indeed, the Housing Industry Association has said that, to March, we will have 155,000 first home buyers this year, in the middle of a pandemic, compared to the long-run average of 100,000. That doesn't happen by accident; it happens because of a concerted effort from the Morrison government, starting with the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, which enables Australians to purchase their first home with a five per cent deposit. It was, of course, built upon by the HomeBuilder program, which has seen more than 130,000 projects around Australia. It's ignited the residential construction industry in every city, every regional centre and every country town. In addition to helping the industry, it has meant first home buyers are able to get over that deposit hurdle.

I was very pleased indeed to be with the member for Mallee in Mildura not too long ago, where we met a couple, Jordan and Nick, who are very representative of young Australians around Australia looking to get into their first home. They told us there is no way they could have purchased their first home without the HomeBuilder grant. That's in contrast to the Leader of the Opposition, who said the Homebuilder program would be funding pearl taps and gold baths. I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that Jordan and Nick in Mildura don't have a gold bath; it's just a very, very great first home.

And I would say to members opposite that we have built on this great success we've had for first home buyers in the budget. We've put in place a number of additional measures. We've expanded the First Home Super Saver Scheme—another scheme opposed by those opposite—which enables people to save a deposit more quickly in superannuation. We expanded the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme with new home guarantees, and, of course, we put in place the Family Home Guarantee to help single parents purchase their first home with a deposit of two per cent. So our plan is working. Members opposite have opposed us every step of the way. The geniuses opposite opposed the HomeBuilder program. The hapless member for Blaxland opposed a program which has helped 130,000 people get into their first home. We are the party for first home buyers and will continue to be so.