Julia Irwin (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his claim that the states are to blame for the pain felt by mortgage holders from rising interest rates, because they have forced up the price of housing. Does the Prime Minister recall saying in an interview with Neil Mitchell on 22 August 2003:

I haven’t heard anybody complain about the fact that incidentally that their houses are more valuable, they think that is an indication of prosperity and wellbeing.

How can the Prime Minister claim rising house prices are a virtue for households one minute and the cause of all their woes the next? Is this because of his embarrassment over the impact of the seven back-to-back interest rates hikes?

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