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

My question is to the Minister for Finance, representing whoever is in charge of developing the coalition's tax policies today. Minister, there are 44,000 young people and children who are homeless in this country today. Last night it was reported that there are children as young as two weeks old sleeping rough on Perth's city streets and there are more than 200,000 people on the social housing waiting list. An entire generation has been priced out of housing affordability. Last year the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated that the combined loss of revenue from negative gearing and capital gains tax exemptions over the forward estimates was more than $22 billion. How does the government justify leaving these massive incentives for property speculation in place when housing affordability is at such crisis levels for so many Australians?