Kevin Rudd Yet Again Blaming The Federal Government For Labors States Pathetic Management Of "STATE" Public Housing Crisis, When It Was Them That Has And Still Are Causing The Problems. ----------------------------------------------------
Rudd challenges PM on housing plans By staff writers
November 05, 2007 09:29am
LABOR Leader Kevin Rudd all but dared the Prime Minister to release his policy to ease the housing affordability crisis, saying it is "stunning" that the Coalition has said nothing on the issue.
Announcing a $150 million plan to provide housing for homeless people, Mr Rudd said John Howard had been mute on the issue throughout the federal election campaign.
He said Labor had made several announcements over the last three weeks, including yesterday's plan to help first home buyers save for a deposit by introducing tax breaks on special bank accounts.
Mr Rudd is seeking to keep housing affordability as the main economic issue in the campaign ahead of an interest rates rise expected on Wednesday.
Yesterday, Mr Howard said pressure on inflation was "unavoidable" and the key issue for voters was to decide which party was best equipped to manage the challenges the economy faced. That was seen as a tacit admission that rates were set to rise.
Mr Howard has said today only the Coalition can be trusted to steer the economy through the challenges ahead, including pressure on inflation and interest rates.
"My argument to the Australian people will be (that) we are entering a slightly more challenging phase of economic management," Mr Howard has said on Adelaide radio.
"That is not the time to substitute a very experienced, successful government when it comes to economic management with a group of people who will be very inexperienced."
'Housing crisis'
Mr Rudd has said there is a "national crisis" in housing policy and he was "absolutely stunned" that there had been no Coalition announcements on the issue.
He said Treasurer Peter Costello had denied there was a problem with housing affordability and that Mr Howard did not think the problem was serious enough to put a minister in charge of tackling the issue.
"How can Mr Howard be taken seriously on housing?" he said.
He would not say if he supported a rise in the first home owners grant, saying only that he supported the scheme.
Be Careful Voters Because Our Little Kevin Is The King Of Spin.
