House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time HomeBuilder Program HomeBuilder Program Mr COWDREY House of Assembly Colton HomeBuilder Program Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:49): My question is to the Treasurer. Has the Treasurer written to the federal Treasurer to request an extension to HomeBuilder and, if not, why not? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. Mr COWDREY House of Assembly Colton Mr COWDREY: It was reported recently that approximately 1,200 South Australians, including first-home buyers, could lose HomeBuilder grants of up to $25,000 because the state government has not yet come to an agreement with the federal government, despite a looming deadline of 30 April this year. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:50): I thank the member for Colton for his interest in this matter. I note that I have yet to receive any correspondence from the member for Colton on this issue, or indeed on many other issues, I've got to say. The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Member for Unley! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Of course, I am able to provide some information to the member for Colton about the HomeBuilder arrangements because they were struck by the former federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, and the former state Treasurer, Rob Lucas, along with all other state and territory treasurers and finance ministers. Those arrangements are entirely consistent across the country and are not deviated from across the country. These are rules that were established by Liberal and conservative governments across the country. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: If I were to ask for a change in those rules, that would mean that I would be asking for differential treatment for South Australians separate to the entire rest of the country. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Florey! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The member for Colton says that we should change the rules for those people who may not be able to meet the 30 April 2023 deadline not to have anything else in order except to submit documentation to RevenueSA. That is the deadline that's coming—30 April—so more than two months away, to submit documentation to RevenueSA. Of course, the HomeBuilder scheme was announced shortly after the commencement of the federal government's first tranche of economic stimulus measures in the first part of 2020. Here we are, more than three years after the housing industry has been targeted to provide a very significant national economic stimulus and the member for Colton is saying that those people— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —who are not yet participating in an economic stimulus scheme, which is now closed, should have preferential treatment in our communities against the rest of the country. These are Liberal rules, designed by Liberal politicians, agreed by Liberals across the country that a Liberal now wants changed—that a Liberal now wants changed. Is there any better explanation— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Colton! The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Treasurer The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —why the member for Colton is graded as a D in terms of performance on the front bench over there.