❓ Opposition questions the Minister for Housing and Works about the decision to abandon the First Start shared equity scheme, citing affordability concerns. The Minister defends the decision, stating housing affordability has improved and demand for the scheme has declined, shifting focus to Keystart and social housing.
AnsweredQoN 466Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIRST START SHARED EQUITY SCHEME
In January 2008, the minister said, according to my notes — … the housing issue is the single biggest issue confronting our State going forward … if people can’t afford to come and live here then we’re in a lot of trouble moving forward. Last week, the minister urged the commonwealth government to continue to support the first home owner grant subsidy scheme, which it now has. In light of both these facts — (1) Why has the minister abandoned the highly successful First Start shared equity scheme in the budget? (2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
In January 2008, the minister said, according to my notes — … the housing issue is the single biggest issue confronting our State going forward … if people can’t afford to come and live here then we’re in a lot of trouble moving forward. Last week, the minister urged the commonwealth government to continue to support the first home owner grant subsidy scheme, which it now has. In light of both these facts — (1) Why has the minister abandoned the highly successful First Start shared equity scheme in the budget? (2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
In light of both these facts — (1) Why has the minister abandoned the highly successful First Start shared equity scheme in the budget? (2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
(1) Why has the minister abandoned the highly successful First Start shared equity scheme in the budget? (2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
(2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
(1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
In light of both these facts — (1) Why has the minister abandoned the highly successful First Start shared equity scheme in the budget? (2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
(1) Why has the minister abandoned the highly successful First Start shared equity scheme in the budget? (2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
(2) What does the minister say to struggling Western Australian home purchasers who now know that his words on this issue mean absolutely nothing? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
(1)-(2) The member is right; we did abandon or cease — Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
Mr M. McGowan : Your words do mean nothing. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The First Start program will cease on 30 June this year. Why? First Start was a good program when it was introduced because, as I recall, the cost of housing in Western Australia was the most expensive in the nation. Housing affordability for Western Australians was massive when compared with other states. That is now no longer the case. There has been a clear adjustment in housing affordability in Western Australia. There has been a clear adjustment to the point at which demand in recent weeks and months for the First Start shared equity product began to decline, and rightly, because people can now afford to buy their own homes. I think that is a better outcome. What are we focusing on? We have a limited capacity to access funds, so we are focusing on supporting Keystart, which plays a major role at the moment in supporting the first home buyer market, in particular, in Western Australia, and we will keep doing that. However, the First Start product had reached the end of its useful life in my view and in the view of the government. Therefore, we are focusing on helping Western Australians into their homes via Keystart and we are focusing on improving social housing outcomes in Western Australia. It is a perfectly sensible public policy adjustment at this time.
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