Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) to (3) as circulated in my name together:

(1) Clause 3, page 2 (line 14), before "The object", insert "(1)".

(2) Clause 3, page 2 (after line 18), at the end of the clause, add:

(2) This includes assisting cohorts of individuals who have historically experienced disadvantage or exclusion when attempting to buy homes.

Note: An example of such a cohort is single women who are at or near retirement age.

(3) Clause 45, page 33 (after line 22), after subclause (1), insert:

(1A) Without limiting subsection (1), the review must consider the extent that the operation of the Help to Buy program has assisted the cohorts of individuals referred to in subsection 3(2) to buy homes.

Note: Subsection 3(2) refers to cohorts of individuals who have historically experienced disadvantage or exclusion when attempting to buy homes.

I appreciate the consideration the minister has given me in discussing this amendment. I and other crossbenchers have expressed our concerns that, apart from a general comment in the explanatory memorandum for this legislation about the increasing struggle that low- and middle-income earners confront in trying to own their own home, the bill itself is devoid of any mention of who exactly the government hopes will benefit.

At the last election I campaigned specifically, and have since, to improve women's equality and equity, and housing is just one of the areas where women are notably disadvantaged. ABS data shows that today just 55 per cent of the poorest 45- to 55-year-olds own their own home, down significantly from 71 per cent four decades ago. All the indications are that women are overrepresented in that cohort. The Grattan Institute, which proposed a shared-equity scheme very similar to this initiative taken by Labor to last election, says that it would be of specific benefit to women approaching retirement who would not otherwise qualify for a mortgage and would live their later years without the certainty of a roof over their heads or worse. This amendment would add a specific reference to women in the object of the legislation as well as other historically disadvantaged individuals to make sure that this program is geared to the people who most need it. It would also provide a prod to Housing Australia and those in the states and territories responsible for administering the program that they should be cognisant of historically disadvantaged groups among the low-income individuals that the legislation is designed to assist.

I understand the minister will not agree to the amendments, in large measure because of the complexity of negotiating agreements with eight state and territory governments to get the program off the ground. That said, I would ask then that reporting on the program is sufficiently comprehensive and detailed to enable us to know for sure in a timely way that it is assisting the cohorts it aims to help, especially women.

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