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

This is the second time that a motion to this effect has been brought forward by Senator Day and colleagues. The Greens do not have any objection to questions around restriction of land for housing development, although I would like to see a critique of whether the movers of this motion assume that should all be on the urban fringe or whether there is room for an intelligent conversation about infill along public transport corridors. What we do object to, and why the Greens will not be supporting this motion, is that asserting that the constraints on land supply are the principal cause of worsening housing affordability dramatically oversimplifies an incredibly complex problem. The report the Senator McLucas just referred you to is a 496-page report with 40 recommendations. We heard from more than a hundred witnesses, including the HIA and the housing industry, as well as many others, mentioning the tax treatment both state and federal, population growth, building codes, the labour market. It is complex. Please stop trying to oversimplify housing affordability. (Time expired)