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

I find it pretty remarkable, actually, that a three-word amendment could increase the compliance burden. I honestly cannot see how, as the minister said, this would increase the compliance burden. Given that we are asking people to tell the department a fair bit about their financial circumstances in order to receive one of these grants, I honestly do not understand how this increases any compliance burden. As Senator Bernardi pointed out, we are not trying to restrict the uptake of first home saver accounts; we are trying to restrict them to where they are needed most so that the scarce financial resources in the Commonwealth housing budget can go to the people who need them most. That is not, in my belief or the Greens’ belief, people who already have investment properties. I do find it strange that there would not be support for this simple amendment—but I do commend it to the chamber.