[Greens-Media] Australian dream of home ownership now a nightmare – shame Abbott shot the messenger

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Australian dream of home ownership now a nightmare – shame Abbott shot the messenger
Australian Greens housing spokesperson Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam. 25 November 2013.

While buying a first home is now out of reach for many, the Abbott Government has axed the key housing advisory body and is washing its hands of all responsibility for the warped state of the Australian housing market.

Greens housing spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said recently released ABS figures showed potential first home owners were being locked out of the market, even as the Government moved to abolish the National Housing Supply Council.

“From 2006 to 2011, the median household income only grew by 17 per cent but median mortgage payments in that period increased by 38.5 per cent – more than double the rate of income growth.  While first home buyers tend to go for the lower end of the market, the average first-home buyer mortgage grew by 26 per cent in just five years.

“In a recent budget estimates committee hearing, when asked if it had any policies on affordable housing, the only thing the Government coughed up was the notorious anti-worker star-chamber, the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

“The Australian Greens have a series of plans to deliver more affordable housing through rental market reforms, social housing reforms and an action plan to end homelessness, but the Abbott Government has no housing Minister, no housing policy, and has now abolished the best independent source of housing intelligence in Australia – without consulting anyone in the housing sector.”


VIDEO Senate Estimates hearing reveals Government’s remarkable disinterest in affordable housing: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/estimates/fiscal-treasury-group-housing-and-axing-housing-supply-council

VIDEO Senate Estimates – Senator Ludlam quizzes the Government on housing and homelessness: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/estimates/homelessness-and-housing-affordability

The Greens rental reform plan: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/rental-revolution; boosting Australia’s social housing supply: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/social-housing%20; and the plan to end homelessness: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/homeless


Contact:  Giovanni Torre – 0417 174 302