Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for COAG) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that 2011 was the second straight year that dwelling commencements fell in four consecutive quarters, that we have a housing shortage of 186,800, set to pass 300,000 by 2014, and that the government is apparently relying on the Reserve Bank to improve housing affordability, how can Australians have any confidence that the government is serious about improving housing, especially for the two million private renters, who do not benefit from interest rate cuts, and those who are vulnerable to homelessness?