QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Ms SHARKIE (Mayo) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Housing. It's reported that approximately 51,000 non-citizens, one-fifth of the overall applicants, have accessed the five per cent first home buyers deposit scheme, many of whom may own overseas properties. Rightly, the government does not allow HECS debt to be accrued by permanent residents, as they're not Australian citizens, so why does the government expose Australian citizens to the risk of loan default from non-Australians accessing the five per cent deposit scheme?