Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) (17:07): — I am delighted to contribute to today's public interest debate on housing affordability, an issue of utmost importance impacting our economy and our social living standards.

The Government wants us to believe that it has a plan to help New South Wales families and residents buy a home. The reality, of course, is very different.

The member who brought this public interest debate to the House should know the history of this issue.

After 12 years in office, and despite the former Premier stating back in 2017 that housing affordability was one of the biggest issues on the Government's agenda, it is now 2022 and the current Premier is still talking about housing affordability being one of the biggest issues we have.

Government members say these things, but no progress is ever made.

What is the central panacea proposed by the Government? It is another new tax on the family home forever. I have rarely seen a public policy problem solved by whacking a new tax on potential home owners.

The Government is not interested in solving housing affordability; it is all about self‑interest.

Don't listen to what they say; look at what they have done.

Jobs for the boys with whale‑sized wages? Check.

Subsidised New York and London apartments for plum overseas roles to ensure that there are no housing affordability issues? Check.

Funding rorts? Check.

Corruption scandals? Check.

Ministers resigning or being sacked? Check.

And that is just this week.

Housing affordability is a genuine issue of concern and must be prioritised. It needs a government with the best interests of home owners at heart, which is not this Liberal Government.

After almost 12 years, all it has are press releases and political spin. Housing affordability is generally a two‑factor equation of wages and asset prices.

Let us look at the first aspect. Rather than offering hardworking frontline workers a worthy pay rise given the difficulties we have had over the past couple of years, practically at the stroke of midnight in 2022 the Government went to the Industrial Relations Commission and asked for an only 0.3 per cent wage rise for frontline workers.

Inflation is running hot, the cost of living is going up and there are never‑ending toll increases—but all workers deserve is 0.3 per cent! Real wages are going backwards.

The Government tried to make housing affordability better by cutting people's wages. Earn less, pay more; that is what helps housing affordability under this Liberal Government. That is the record and that is the fact. Despite announcing it as a major policy focus, Government members deliberately act the other way.

A leopard never changes its spots. Government members cannot afford to improve wages or conditions for frontline workers, many of whom are dealing with significant housing affordability issues, but they can create a $500,000 "jobs for the boys" scam.

 They can run a cartel for the politically connected to ask for wages and supporting allowances of up to $800,000. They can provide a $112,000 largesse living allowance in high London—

Mr Paul Scully: How much?

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: It was 112 gorillas—despite the Premier calling the agent general a problem and being unable to express confidence in him during question time today. They rorted the selection process, in which those $500,000 jobs are gifts for somebody.

They then tried to run a protection racket with shenanigans to withhold documents from the inquiry.

There is no housing affordability or budget limitations when it comes to those in the Government's inner circle, the elite circle, swindling the public purse to make life ultra comfortable for the insiders and ensure that no housing affordability stress is ever experienced by their selected favourites.

All of that shows that they are absolute snollygosters who are only in it for themselves. Let us not forget about renters and their soaring costs.

The solution to housing affordability is never to cut people's wages. It is never to whack a new tax on people's family homes.

I have spent many a minute debating the land tax, and I am always happy to do it. What I know is that the Government is out of ideas.

They keep saying that housing affordability is a big issue—and it is—but what have they actually done? They have done nothing except work up a new tax on people's homes.