Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing. Will the minister inform the House how the Morrison government is backing Australian jobs through our economic recovery by helping Australians achieve their goal of owning their own home? Most importantly, is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I thank the member for Leichhardt for his question. The member for Leichhardt has championed so many good causes in this House, and one that he has championed in North Queensland and his electorate and indeed throughout Australia is on behalf of first home buyers. I'd say to the member for Leichhardt that it was wonderful to join him very recently in Cairns, with Grant and Heather from a local building company, who explained to us—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition!

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

that the HomeBuilder program has ignited the residential construction industry of northern Australia—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

No, the Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting! The minister has the call.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'll start again. We met with Grant and Heather, who explained that, in their building business, when the pandemic hit, sales stopped overnight. We announced the HomeBuilder program. It has ignited the residential construction industry in northern Australia. We've got nearly 4,000 new homes being built now in northern Australia, in and around the electorate of Leichhardt. That has been fuelled by the HomeBuilder program. One of the most important aspects of the HomeBuilder program is the support it has provided to first home buyers. It was wonderful to meet even more first home buyers in northern Australia. Christie in Cairns explained to us that, without HomeBuilder, there's no way she could have jumped the deposit hurdle to get into her first home.

The HomeBuilder program is built on a range of programs that the Morrison government have put in place because we are a government for first home buyers; we are a government for homeownership. The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme—highly successful—has allowed people to purchase their first home with a deposit of five per cent. The HomeBuilder program which we put in place allows people to build a new home with a five per cent deposit, and we extended that. In the budget just a couple of weeks ago we had the Family Home Guarantee. The Family Home Guarantee, I think, is a landmark policy for this House. We will now enable single parents—84 per cent of whom are women—with dependent children to purchase a home with a deposit of two per cent. I have been inundated by single parents around the country, including from the member for Leichhardt's electorate, saying, 'This will be the difference between me renting and me owning, and being able to provide my children with the security that they need through homeownership.' So we are the party of homeownership, whether it's HomeBuilder or the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme or the Family Home Guarantee, and we'll continue to support those Australians.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.