Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. How will the Albanese Labor government's Help to Buy scheme help support more Australians into homeownership, and what is standing in its way?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do want to thank the member for Macnamara for that important question. I know that he is very supportive of our ambitious housing agenda, and, indeed, he is concerned about the housing challenges that Australia faces today.

Help to Buy will be life-changing for tens of thousands of Australians. The legislation I introduced today will provide a pathway to homeownership for people who have been locked out. Particularly, it will help low- and middle-income Australians get over the hurdle of a deposit and enjoy ongoing savings thanks to smaller repayments. Eligible participants will only need a two per cent deposit for Help to Buy. The government will support them with an equity stake of up to 40 per cent for new homes and up to 30 per cent for existing homes. Help to Buy will help more than 40,000 Australians into homeownership.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Less first home buyers under you. What are you doing?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Deakin will cease interjecting.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're providing this support because we understand what buying a house means to Australians. It's security. It's stability. It's the great Australian dream. It's something that everyone in this place should be able to support. But, disappointingly, today we saw those opposite—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Deakin will cease interjecting.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

team up with the Greens again to delay this life-changing legislation—five months of delays for people wanting the stability and the security of owning their own home. This delay shows that, yet again, the Leader of the Opposition again has nothing positive to offer the country. The opposition voted against cost-of-living relief when Australians are doing it tough, and now they're teaming up with the Greens to delay help for homebuyers. Over there, they talk a big game on homeownership, but now they're teaming up with the Greens yet again to stand in the way of Australians who want to own their own home. We want to help more Australians buy a home. The only thing they want to buy is more time to grandstand. We want to open the door to more Australians owning a home, but they just want to slam it shut. We want to give Australians the keys to a new home. They just want to lock them out.

Those opposite have said no to more social and affordable housing. They've said no to cost-of-living relief. And now, unbelievably, they're saying no to more homeownership for Australians that want to get into a home. We know what a difference Help to Buy will make, but we won't stop working hard so that more Australians have a safe, affordable place to call home. We want to help more Australians with the housing support they need—more help for homebuyers, more help for renters and more help for Australians who need a safe place to call home.