James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is helping Australians into their first home and at the same time supporting jobs in the housing and construction sector?

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

I thank the member for Sturt for his question. He is a champion for first home buyers, not just in his electorate but throughout South Australia, and continues the commitment of the Morrison government and, indeed, all coalition governments in helping people get into their first home.

The HomeBuilder program we announced recently has been specifically targeted to support first home buyers get into their first home, with a $25,000 grant for new home purchases and rebuilds of a substantial nature. The evidence is starting to come in that, yes, this has been designed for first home buyers and is overwhelmingly being taken up by first home buyers—a $25,000 grant to help people get into their first home. It was reported by the ABC.

Mr Hill interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The member for Bruce keeps interjecting. He has already been warned. He will leave under 94(a). It's probably why the whips seated him near the door. The Minister for Housing has the call.

The member for Bruce then left the chamber.

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

I'm not sure why helping people get into their first home is something that angers those opposite so much, but it was reported by the ABC the words of Don Crellin who is the managing director of Resolve Finance. He said the following about HomeBuilder:

It is generating a great deal of inquiry. I think it's great, particularly for first homebuyers coming into the market, it's certainly something we haven't seen before and it certainly does give first homebuyers a real kick forward…

Ms Swanson interjecting —

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson has also been warned. The minister will continue.

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

I would say to the member for Sturt that, indeed, many of the states and territories around Australia have backed in the HomeBuilder program with their own schemes. So in South Australia, in the member's electorate, somebody will not only get as a first home buyer a $25,000 HomeBuilder grant but they will be able to supplement that with $15,000 from the Marshall state government. So they will receive $40,000 towards their first home. This has led Ian Marcos, from the South Australian Master Builders Association to say: 'The phones have been ringing really madly since the announcement. People have been speaking with their feet.'

This scheme, the HomeBuilder scheme, supporting first home buyers, supporting one million jobs in the residential construction industry, builds on the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, where 10,000 people have been able to buy their first home with a deposit of as little as five per cent and, in a few weeks' time, 10,000 new places will be available. It also builds on the First Home Super Saver Scheme, a way for people to accelerate their savings through superannuation.

The HomeBuilder scheme, First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and First Home Super Scheme have a couple of things in common. Firstly, they help first home buyers get into the market. They support residential construction jobs and every single one of those policies was opposed by the Labor Party.