Housing Supply

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (14:59): Thank you, sir. My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer update the house on the budget's initiatives to increase the supply of housing and any alternative views on these measures?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:59): I thank the member for his question and his interest in this important area, because members would be aware that the budget included a package of more than $470 million for improving housing supply in South Australia. That included not only increasing the amount of new public housing builds but also stopping the sell-off of 580 public housing properties budgeted under the previous government, more affordable homes, developing an office for regional housing in Renewal SA to build more regional housing and, of course, abolishing stamp duty for eligible first-home owners who either buy a new home valued up to $650,000 or purchase a vacant block of land valued up to $400,000 to build a new home.

This was warmly received by the community, and I can advise the house that some of the positive reports came from the Master Builders Association. I quote:

This is a fantastic announcement for first home buyers, it's also a fantastic announcement also for builders, tradies, apprentices, suppliers.

Stephen Knight from the HIA said, 'Stamp Duty relief is always a good thing.' Indeed, the Property Council's Bruce Djite said:

We certainly welcome and applaud the Government for the housing measures that they've introduced in this budget, abolishing stamp duty is fantastic news especially for first home buyers.

Mr Speaker, you would be as surprised as I was to learn that, on the weekend after the budget, the member for Colton and his colleague in the other place Heidi Girolamo issued a media alert about Labor's 'budget fail', saying, 'We will take all questions on first-home buyer announcements,' and then saying, 'Here are the only suburbs in Greater Adelaide with median house prices below $650,000.' The journalist who sent this to me was surprised, thinking that the list of the only suburbs might only be half a dozen or a dozen suburbs. In fact, it was followed by a list put out by the member for Colton of 100 suburbs in Greater Metropolitan Adelaide—100 suburbs.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Remarkably, the media was concerned that there was the whiff of snobbery—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Elder! The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —in the approach from the member for Colton identifying the following suburbs.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I will start with the suburbs beginning with a D, given the member for Colton's familiarity with that letter.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Devon Park and Dudley Park are highlighted as suburbs. I wouldn't have thought this was a problem for first-home buyers, given they are both located less than five kilometres from the GPO—but there's something wrong with those suburbs according to the member for Colton—or, in the electorate of Torrens, Gilles Plains and Hillcrest; even in my electorate, less than 10 kilometres from the GPO, Albert Park, Hendon and Royal Park. What was really of interest to the journalist was the member for Colton highlighting a range of suburbs in marginal electorates, sneeringly saying that these apparently aren't good enough for first-home buyers—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —and putting Modbury, Modbury North, Ridgehaven, St Agnes—

The SPEAKER: Treasurer, there is a point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Newland! Member for Elder! Member for Chaffey! Member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: In characterising somebody else's commentary in the way that the Treasurer sees fit, in the way that he has just done, he is in breach of standing order 98 for debate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Well, it may be that another standing order could also have been raised by the shadow treasurer, but it wasn't.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Brown: He's not actually the shadow treasurer; he just acts as the shadow treasurer.

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey, that contribution is unhelpful.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! We have the question, we are listening carefully, the Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Just to clarify—not my characteristic, but the characteristic put to me by those in the media, listing suburbs in the marginal electorates of King, of Mawson, of Newland, of Wright, and even listing a suburb in the electorate of Heysen—an extraordinary attempt by those opposite to denigrate suburbs as apparently not being good enough for first-home buyers. We are pleased that we are opening up home ownership to first-home buyers in not only more than 100 suburbs in Greater Metropolitan Adelaide but in every regional centre—

Mr Cowdrey interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —across South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer's contribution has concluded and so has question time.