After decades of inaction by successive governments, we’re in the midst of a housing crisis, which is a major cause of the cost-of-living crisis. The well-known structural issues are not new, although they have been compounded by recent global economic shocks.
When in government, both major parties have shied away from tackling the issues that would have eased the burden we’re facing today and reduced the intergenerational inequity that no one wants.
In Moore, not everyone has been affected in the same way, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to ensure that we don’t go further backwards, yet remain focussed on solving the structural issues based on evidence not ideology.
What needs to be done?
We need a housing summit that brings key stakeholders together to develop a unified vision and long-term solutions for affordable, accessible and sustainable housing across Australia for today and future generations.
We can act now though, and I will advocate for:
- Aligning immigration policy with housing supply, encouraging skilled worker migration in construction while setting immigration targets that account for housing needs. This will help to increase supply in housing and workers to enable our local tradies to grow their businesses.
- More support to local government agencies for smart planning that will unlock their potential.
- Build to Rent plans to increase the mix of options for renters.
- More government-funded social and affordable housing, for vulnerable members of our community such as older people and people with a disability.
Tax reform
In 2009, the Henry review into Australia’s tax system found that structural reform is “urgently needed”. If we want to remain financially sustainable in the long-term, we need a tax system that’s designed in this century for our modern economy. Labor and Liberal governments have both ignored this review. They’ve kept us stuck in the past because they’re so out of touch with real needs and they remain paralysed from tackling what could help us today.
I will advocate for:
- Broadening the tax base to enable reduced income tax rates and a simplified tax system.
- Designing fair and reasonable windfall tax arrangements for multinationals who benefit from global economic shocks.
- Being smarter with taxes that hinder productivity, like Stamp Duty and Payroll Tax.
- Strengthening the Petroleum Rent Resource Tax, so that industries pay the right amount for profiting from our natural resources.
- Reducing government reliance on revenue from income tax.
Supporting businesses and those who work in them
Small and medium businesses are often run by families and all of them employ people with families. They are proven innovators who create novel solutions for the challenges they face in their fields of expertise. Innovation drives economic productivity, so when small businesses are supported, our economy prospers.
I will advocate for:
- Simplifying award rates to reduce business red tape.
- Expanding the instant asset write-off for small businesses.
- Incentivising decarbonising and energy efficiency measures by small businesses.
- Enhancing competition in key private sectors, including supermarkets and banks.
- Lowering childcare costs and improving accessibility to ease financial pressure on working families and increase participation in the workforce.
- Reducing energy bills long-term by supporting household electrification.