Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Housing

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:36): My question is to the Premier. Over the time Labor has been in government the home ownership rate amongst 30- to 34-year-olds in Victoria has fallen almost 15 per cent, from 64 per cent to just over 50 per cent. Why do home ownership rates continue to fall so dramatically under this government?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:37): I know props in the house are disorderly, but if I had a big, giant mirror I would hold it up to the member for Brighton and say this is the reason why we are seeing more and more young people locked out of the opportunity to buy their first home, start a family and build their long-term wealth. The gall of the member for Brighton to come into this place – the member for Brighton, who marches up and down the main street of Brighton with his megaphone –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I say this in answering the member for Brighton’s question: who was it just recently, just a couple of weeks ago in the Parliament, that tried to block –

Bridget Vallence interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: I am going to get it out, member for Evelyn. No matter how many points of order, I am going to get it out.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Laverton can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Laverton withdrew from chamber.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: It is entirely relevant to the question that is being asked, because we are working incredibly hard to reform the planning system, to work with industry and to work with local government to get more homes built here in Victoria. Occasionally the levers that we need to use to get more homes exist here in the Parliament, and just recently who was it that tried to block the building of more homes near train stations? Who was it? The Liberal Party.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, it was a very narrow question: why have home ownership rates fallen under this Labor government?

Mary-Anne Thomas: Speaker, on the point of order, you have repeatedly asked the Manager of Opposition Business not to use points of order as an opportunity to restate the question, yet she continues to defy your ruling.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: Thank you, Speaker. I appreciate that ruling, because I have got a few more examples to share with you. Who was it that just recently in the Victorian Parliament tried to block vital planning reforms to build more townhouses here in Victoria? The Liberal Party. Who was it who took time out from marching up and down main street in Brighton and went to a different part of Brighton to oppose more homes built? It was the member for Brighton. The member for Sandringham has had a go at this as well, opposing the construction of more homes in Highett.

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: You are going to confess as well, are you?

The SPEAKER: Member for Point Cook, off you go: an hour. The member for Sunbury is warned.

Member for Point Cook withdrew from chamber.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order on the question of relevance and also debating, Speaker, the Premier seems to have forgotten that she is the government and has been for a long time.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is being relevant to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I would have thought the Leader of the National Party, to get to that lofty position, would have understood that there are things like the Parliament that need to approve the townhouse code, the train and tram code. But what I was just getting to is that the member for Brighton, the member for Sandringham and the member for Hawthorn have all marched up and down the main streets of their communities blocking the construction of more homes. That is why we are using every tool and lever – the work of the planning minister in reforming the planning system, the work with industry, the release of more greenfields land and, yes, legislative and parliamentary reform – to get more homes built to support young people here in this state.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mildura can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Jade Benham interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! Make that an hour and a half.

Member for Mildura withdrew from chamber.

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:42): With up to 43 per cent of the cost of a new home being tax, pricing thousands of Victoria’s young people out of the property market, isn’t government tax the biggest obstacle to young people buying their first home?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Eureka, you can leave the chamber for half an hour. Minister for Finance, this is your last warning.

Member for Eureka withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:43): I am again delighted to remind the member for Brighton that the state in Australia that has more first home buyers than any other state is Victoria. The state that is building, completing and approving more homes than any other state is Victoria. The government that is working hard –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask members on their feet, particularly those at the table, not to incite members to respond.

Jacinta ALLAN: We are proud of the work we are doing, recognising that young Victorians have been denied the opportunity of previous generations to buy their first home, start a family and build their long-term wealth, and we are on their side and we will continue to support them, not block more homes.

Danny Pearson interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Minister for Finance is right: it is a question of supply and demand. I know there are plenty of people demanding the Shadow Treasurer’s role, but we are blessed that the member for Brighton is performing those duties so well, because it gives me the chance to remind the house and the Victorian community that you cannot trust the Liberals when it comes to building more homes.