Page 3584 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 18 September 2019
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not think it is unethical; we do not think it is immoral that somebody has a block of land in the ACT. Those opposite seem to think it is unethical and immoral, whilst at the same time they all own a piece of this very unethical and immoral land. Time after time we hear from those opposite that Canberra cannot keep growing forever. “We’ve got to stop the urban fringe.”
We on this side of the chamber simply want, for all Canberrans, the same opportunities that the 25 members of this place are afforded. It is not too much to ask. We actually think that the aspiration to have a block of land, to have a house, should not be a pipedream. We think it should be a reality. It used to be a reality. Now, for so many people in Canberra, they have simply given up hope.
We are confident that we can turn all of this around, but I am not confident that they are going to turn all of this around. I have no confidence that the Labor-Greens coalition will do anything other than what they have been doing for years; that is, gouging Canberrans. I very much hope that in the debate today we will get an epiphany from those opposite, an admission that they have driven up the cost of living, they have driven up the cost of land, they have driven up the cost of rent and they are going to change their ways, but I am not hopeful. I look forward to the contribution of those opposite.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (4.50): I move:
Omit all text after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that:
(a) thousands of Canberrans are priced out of the private rental housing market;
(b) according to Domain’s June 2019 State of the Market report, the median rent in Canberra was $550; and
(c) an annual private rent of more than $28 000 is out of reach for many on low incomes and people relying on Federal Government income support such as Newstart;
(2) further notes that the Federal Government is responsible for many of Australia’s housing affordability problems, for example:
(a) as a result of Federal Government taxation policies and failures in banking regulations, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra have suffered chronic house price inflation since 1999, putting buying a home out of reach of many;
(b) the Federal Government no longer provides the historical level of financial support for states and territories to provide public housing and housing infrastructure, putting pressure on housing supply for the lowest income households; and
(c) Newstart and Rent Assistance are too low to cover reasonable costs of living, including rents, for unemployed Australians;
(3) further notes that, within the limitations resulting from Federal Government policy, the ACT Government is taking action on housing affordability, including:
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