Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Urquhart for her question and her interest in wanting to see more regional Australians own their own home. The Albanese Labor government understands the importance of homeownership and the unique challenges in our regions, which is why we took to the election a commitment to establish a Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee to support eligible regional Australians to buy a home with as little as a five per cent deposit. And I know the Liberals and the Nationals hate hearing about a Labor government delivering to the regions—they hate it.

This commitment from Labor was delivered three months ahead of schedule. The Albanese Labor government has also expanded eligibility for the Home Guarantee Scheme to help more Australians into homeownership. Since July last year the First Home Guarantee and the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee have been open to joint applications with friends and family members, not just single, married or de facto applicants. The Family Home Guarantee has been expanded from single, natural or adoptive parents with dependants to include eligible borrowers who are single legal guardians of children, such as aunts, uncles and grandparents.

I'm pleased to update the Senate that the Albanese Labor government's expanded Home Guarantee Scheme has now supported over 100,000 people into homeownership since the election. And Senator Urquhart, I'm pleased to tell you, that includes 1,300 people in your home state of Tasmania, spread right across the state. Of those successful new—