Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I indicated during my second reading speech, I do have an amendment. This amendment is to strike out the so-called downsizer provisions from this legislation. I want to very quickly use this opportunity to respond to a couple of comments made by Senator Ayres, who took issue with what I'd said and then proceeded to give us a little homily on the importance of downsizing. Clearly, he hadn't listened to my speech, because one of the absolute, primary premises of my speech is that, actually, this is not about downsizing at all; it's just about a further subsidy for the landed class and the very well-off in this country. I thank the Senate. I seek leave to move amendments (1) and (2) standing in my name and circulated on sheet 1632 together.

Leave granted.

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 1632 together:

(1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 4), omit the table item.

(2) Schedule 5, page 18 (lines 1 to 9), to be opposed.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition will not be supporting the amendment moved by Senator McKim. This bill implements a number of sensible measures of the previous coalition government. For a number of these measures, the implementation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The coalition supports the bill in its current form.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government won't be supporting Senator McKim's amendment. The expansion of the downsizer scheme will allow older Australians to consider downsizing to go earlier a home that better suits their needs, thereby increasing the availability of suitable housing for Australian families. Lowering the eligibility age from 60 to 55 recognises some people choose to downsize earlier and may wish to contribute these proceeds to superannuation in order to boost their income in retirement.

The government is dedicated to supporting older Australians and, importantly, to growing the housing supply. That's why we are also committing to developing an ambitious housing and homelessness reform agenda, bringing national leadership and a strong focus on stable and affordable housing. We've also committed to the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, a national help-to-buy shared-equity scheme, a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council and a national housing and homelessness plan. This schedule in the bill is an important part of our overall housing approach, and we will not be supporting the Greens' amendment.

The CHAIR: The question is that schedule 5 stands as printed.

Question agreed to.

Bill agreed to.

Bill reported without amendments; report adopted.