Housing provided by governments has always been, and always will be, a horror story. Housing is not the job of governments, which struggle to even carry out their core responsibilities, and don't have a clue about things that should be left to private enterprise and the market.

The only thing to be said about the Greens is that they are a branch of Communism.

Governments’ only role should be to provide legal protection for renters, and encourage the private sector to provide the housing. Negative gearing is a proven way to do that. Government meddling in private enterprise always ends in tears.

Where the market appears to have gone off the rails, there is invariably a government failure at the heart of it.

The government should get back into providing volume public housing. But to a much higher standard, that the private market would be obliged to follow.

Negative gearing should be available to brand new, new build homes only, allowing first home buyers a decent look in at older and depreciating homes.

Capital gains should be halved to make negative gearing much more palatable.

When supply once again exceeds demand, house prices will decline.

It was and has always been supply and demand, since moderated by the number of dwellings owned by greedy politicians, who do SFA to stimulate housing build growth!

And as plain as the nose on your face!
Alan B.

Agree, the Greens are housing vultures. Nothing worse than the hypocrite Max Chandler-Hyphen doing his fake housing "contest" with Labor.

But markets have two sides - demand and supply. The Treasury tax breaks and immigration deluge have deliberately created severe housing un-affordability. Relative to existing stock, Australia is one of the most effective home-builders in the OECD. But there's no chance of "catching up", under completely unnecessary population growth of 1.5-2.5% per annum.

WTF?

ttbn suggests: leaving housing "to private enterprise and the market" and tells us "Government meddling in private enterprise always ends in tears."

ttbn also states "Governments....encourage the private sector to provide the housing."

So here we have the brilliant idea to stop government meddling in private enterprise by encouraging government meddling in private enterprise.

Elbow was in the news recently, threatening folk who live in caravans in urban backyards.

Having been there done that, I'm here to say this bloke has all but declared war on the poorest of the poor in our community! Only those now living in tents are arguably poorer.

We paid off our van which then became the deposit for our first home, as thousands of Aussies did before us!

If he doesn't want folk living in vans in backyards, then he has to pause migration and use cheap energy instead to stimulate the economy. Where would he like them to live, in their cars?

This arrogant, wine drinking red nosed faker, pretends to care and exposed as such by the words tumbling out of his own mouth!

Every pollie should have their assets frozen and forced to live on the dole for at least six months, so they can get a taste of life that's real for caravan dwellers living in vans in mum and dad's backyard.
Alan B.