Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

As I foreshadowed in my remarks earlier, this amendment is designed to close what is essentially a loophole in the original bill, which would allow people who currently own an investment property to take advantage of these first home saver accounts. I think that is a somewhat perverse incentive through which people who have already had access to the wherewithal and the finances to purchase an investment property that they did not happen to be living in can still take advantage of these Commonwealth grants. The Greens do not believe that people who are in a position to own investment properties should be able to access this sort of funding. We think these funds should be targeted to the areas of most need, as I foreshadowed earlier. I therefore move Greens amendment (1) on sheet 5589:

(1)    Schedule 1, page 3 (before line 15), before item 2, insert:

1A  Paragraph 15(1)(c)

Omit “at a time when the dwelling was the person’s main residence”, substitute “at any time”.