Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for her question, although I reject some of the characterisation in that question. Indeed, our government has pursued multiple policies and is making multiple investments to support access to housing across Australia. We are providing an expected $9 billion through 2021-22 to support housing and homelessness across the country, which includes around $1.6 billion being provided to the states to meet their responsibility in support for housing and homelessness.

As a government we have put a particular priority in relation to supporting home ownership and into supporting more first homeowners into home ownership, and we are very pleased that programs our government has delivered over the last few years, under Prime Minister Morrison—from HomeBuilder through to the home guarantee schemes, including the first home guarantee, the New Home Guarantee and the Family Home Guarantee—have helped more than 300,000 Australians to become homeowners.

In the middle of the pandemic we have seen first homeowner numbers at their highest level in nearly 15 years. As parties of government that have long championed from a very foundation the importance of homeownership, we take great pride in seeing that achievement. We've made sure that we've put in place the policies to help those Australians who might have struggled to get a deposit, get a deposit and get into the housing market more easily. That is what our home guarantee schemes are doing.

In this year's budget, we made the extension of that home guarantee scheme to particularly support single parents to access a home deposit and the opportunity of home ownership. We know that is one of the best ways to provide a lifetime of economic security, particularly through retirement years, alongside of successful retirement savings policies.