Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Members of the House will be aware that on Monday the Leader of the Opposition announced what he said was a policy to reduce rentals. That was a policy to hold out to property developers a tax break of $150 a week, which for a renter paying $300 a week would deliver a reduction of $60. So it was a tax break of $150 a week for a rental break of $60 a week. It was a ratio of about three to one in favour of the developer. After the Labor Party machine put out an email—and I have a copy of the email—asking for a sympathetic person who could be used as a prop to illustrate this policy, the Labor Party found Rosanna Harris. The Leader of the Opposition, in one of his now all too frequent stunts, went out to the home of Rosanna Harris, where she was renting, and on camera asked this question: ‘What is the rental on a place like this?’ Ms Harris replied, ‘Two hundred and sixty dollars a week.’ Rudd continued, ‘Two hundred and sixty dollars. So you’re effectively going to get 50-plus bucks off each week.’ That of course was entirely false. Rosanna Harris will get nothing under that policy because that policy only applies to new construction commencing in 2008. Either he did not understand his own policy or he misled Rosanna Harris. The ABC news carried footage of Mr Rudd saying to Rosanna Harris, ‘If you’re here on $260 then you’re effectively going to get 50-plus bucks off each week.’ After the cameras left and the Labor Party moved on—and now they will be on today’s distraction—one of the television networks went back to the home of Rosanna Harris.

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