Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I do not exactly recall the 1995 statement, but I accept the veracity of Senator Hurley’s statement. It is something that, logically, a Liberal leader would say, because one of the great things about the Liberal Party is that we are very dedicated to ensuring that the maximum number of Australians are able to own their own home. That is why our policies, since we came into office in 1996, have been directed to ensuring that real wages continue to grow—and they have grown by 20.8 per cent—and to ensuring that we get unemployment low to ensure that the maximum number of Australians can have a job if they want a job. The only way you can afford to own a home is to have a job, and we have unemployment down to 4.3 per cent—levels undreamed of under the Labor Party. That is why we have been dedicated to eliminating deficits, returning the budget to surplus and getting rid of the Labor Party’s debt. All our policies are dedicated to ensuring that we create circumstances in which the maximum number of Australians are able to aspire to own their own home. The rate of home ownership in this country does remain, internationally, at very high levels. The rate of home ownership in this country is remarkably stable. About a third of people have paid off their home, about a third are paying off their home and about a third of people rent. Those levels have been remarkably stable throughout our period in office.