Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In speaking on this urgency motion, I'd first like to address some of the comments made by Senator Walsh, whose thoughts and views I deeply respect. But there are three points I'd like to make with respect to Senator Walsh's contribution.

First, in relation to the policy that the coalition went to the last election with, the policy was to give superannuation fund holders, especially the young, a choice. It wasn't a question of forcing; it was a question of giving them the choice, if they decided to do so, to take a certain amount out of their superannuation fund in order to get them into the housing market and buy their first home, the most important asset for the rest of their life. That's the first point.

Second, I believe that, in relation to the supply of housing, we need to be more creative, in terms of working with community organisations, being innovative—social housing doesn't necessarily have to be owned by state governments, federal governments or whichever government—and working with community organisations at the front line to try to get solutions for local communities. Some of the most passionate people in this space, as I'm sure everyone would agree, are those frontline community organisations that are dealing with this issue every single day.

The third point I'd like to make in relation to Senator Walsh's comments is on the question of supply—supply, supply, supply. We need more supply for people who are seeking to rent accommodation. That's the question. We need supply. Green tape and red tape are frustrating supply. I see it where my office is located, in Springfield, the south-west growth corridor of Queensland, the fastest growing region in Queensland, where the people who want to construct housing for new home buyers, for others, for renters et cetera are being frustrated by the green tape and the red tape. We need supply.

Regarding Senator McKim's urgency motion, whenever the Greens put forward a motion dealing with economics, I always go to my library and bring out my book called Basic Economics by Dr Thomas Sowell. I see what my book on basic economics says, because that always provides the answers. I only needed to go to page 45 of my book, Basic Economicsby Thomas Sowell, to learn that the history of economics teaches us that rent controls do not work. Rent controls do not work. They might be proposed with the best of intentions—