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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-03-08 Daily Xml
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HomeBuilder Program

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:48): My question is again to the Treasurer. What does the Treasurer say to Shannon Baker? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr COWDREY: Aspiring home owner Shannon Baker has two casual jobs and works 35 to 40 hours each week and said, and I quote, 'Owning a house is an unattainable dream at this point' and 'My plan for real estate ownership is to wait until my parents die.'

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:49): Well, to the extent that the member for Colton's constituent feels frustration and angst about missing out on HomeBuilder, to him I say, as I have said to the others—

Mr Cowdrey: Every one of your backbench is sitting there saying, 'Just pick up the phone.'

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton, you are on a final warning, and a further interjection will see you departing the chamber. The Treasurer has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is called to order. Order, member for Waite! The member for Badcoe is warned for a second time. Member for Newland, you are warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Wright! The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: That was a D-grade outburst while we are discussing serious issues that are impacting people in serious ways—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Florey! Treasurer, please be seated.

Mr Cowdrey: If it's so serious, do something about it.

The SPEAKER: Treasurer, take a seat. Member for Colton, you will depart the chamber for the remainder of question time under 127A. Member for Florey and the member for Badcoe will join him for the remainder of question time. Member for Newland, you are on a final warning.

The honourable members for Colton, Florey and Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is continuing his answer.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As I was saying, Shannon has my full sympathy, and I can only imagine the frustrations that he feels. This is why I have continued to extend the availability of Department of Treasury and Finance officers, and also RevenueSA, to see what other avenues might be pursued, particularly in that circumstance, to get someone into first-home ownership who doesn't feel that they are able to access home ownership or achieve home ownership through traditional channels. It may not be relevant to their circumstances, but we will only know if we make the attempt.

This is why, at the last election, we committed to introducing 2 per cent and 3 per cent deposit home loans through the government's home lender, HomeStart, to people on low and fixed incomes because, unlike every other financial institution, we don't charge Lenders Mortgage Insurance on home loans. When people feel that it's impossible, for example, to save a 20 per cent deposit to try to avoid spending tens of thousands of dollars on Lenders Mortgage Insurance, then for a much smaller deposit amount they can get into home ownership through a home loan through HomeStart.

Now, as I said, that may not be something that fits the circumstances of the constituent that the member for Colton raises, but I reiterate that offer. I do sympathise with people who find themselves in this situation, and I would like to try to find a way of assisting them if possible, beyond the HomeBuilder scheme. That is why the government has put so much time, effort and resources into a suite of housing announcements aimed to assist South Australians who are locked out of secure housing, for example, all the way through to home ownership.

We remain committed to this task of getting more South Australians into housing, and into home ownership, and whether it is Shannon (the member for Colton's constituent) or whether it is someone else, we look forward to continuing those efforts.

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