**The core claim is TRUE.** The Coalition government did scrap the First Home Saver Accounts (FHSA) scheme in the 2014-15 Federal Budget announced on May 13, 2014 [1][2].
It provided:
- A concessional tax rate of 15% on interest earned in the account [5]
- Government co-contributions of 17 cents per dollar contributed, up to $6,000 per year (maximum $1,020 annual contribution) [5][6]
Treasurer Joe Hockey announced the abolition, stating the accounts "have done little to improve housing affordability" [1][2].
該計畫 gāi jì huà 提供 tí gōng : :
The scheme was formally repealed through the Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2015 Measures No. 1) Bill 2015, which abolished the First Home Saver Accounts Act 2008 and related legislation [7].
**The claim omits critical context about why the scheme was abolished:**
1. **Low take-up and popularity**: With only 46,000 accounts nationwide after nearly six years of operation, the scheme had extremely low participation.
For context, there were approximately 25 million people in Australia at the time - meaning less than 0.2% of the population had opened an account.
2. **Restrictive conditions limited effectiveness**: The scheme required account holders to contribute at least $1,000 per year and maintain the account for at least four years before accessing funds for a home deposit [5].
These restrictions made it unattractive to many potential first home buyers.
3. **Ineffectiveness at addressing housing affordability**: The official justification for abolition was that the scheme "failed to make meaningful inroads into housing affordability" [5].
Treasury and the government concluded it was not achieving its policy objective.
4. **Budget savings**: Abolishing the scheme saved the budget $134 million over four years [5].
This was during a period of significant budget consolidation following the Global Financial Crisis stimulus spending.
5. **Alternative assistance was later introduced**: The Coalition subsequently introduced the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) in 2017 [8] and the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) in January 2020 [9], demonstrating continued commitment to first home buyer assistance through different policy mechanisms.
原始 yuán shǐ 來源 lái yuán * * * * rebonline rebonline . . com com . . au au ( ( Real Real Estate Estate Business Business / / REB REB ) ) * * * * 需要 xū yào 謹慎 jǐn shèn 評估 píng gū : :
The original source, **rebonline.com.au (Real Estate Business/REB)**, requires careful evaluation:
- **Nature of publication**: REB is "Australia's leading source of breaking news, opinions and market intelligence that real estate businesses and agents count on" [10].
It is an industry publication serving real estate professionals.
- **Vested interest**: The real estate industry has a direct commercial interest in first home buyer assistance programs, as these stimulate demand in the property market.
Industry publications advocating for the retention of such schemes represents a predictable position that aligns with industry financial interests rather than independent policy analysis.
- **Bias assessment**: The source headline "First Home Saver Account should be fixed, not axed" reflects an industry advocacy position, not balanced policy journalism.
There is no discussion of the scheme's low take-up, ineffectiveness, or the government's rationale for abolition.
- **Credibility rating**: While the source accurately reports industry views, it lacks independence on this issue due to the commercial interests involved.
**Did Labor do something similar?**
Search conducted: "Labor government abolished first home buyer scheme discontinued"
**Finding**: Labor introduced the FHSA scheme; they did not abolish a comparable first home buyer savings scheme.
* * * *
However, Labor governments have discontinued or restructured other assistance programs:
1. **First Home Owner Grant changes**: Various state and federal Labor governments have modified, reduced, or temporarily suspended first home owner grants during different economic conditions [11].
2. **No direct equivalent**: There is no precise Labor equivalent of abolishing a first home buyer savings scheme because Labor created this particular scheme.
**Comparative context**: Both major parties have restructured first home buyer assistance over time based on changing economic conditions, housing market dynamics, and budget priorities.
搜尋內容 sōu xún nèi róng : : 「 「 Labor Labor government government abolished abolished first first home home buyer buyer scheme scheme discontinued discontinued 」 」
The Coalition's abolition of FHSA was unusual in that it eliminated a savings-based mechanism without immediately replacing it (the replacement schemes came 3-5 years later).
**Criticisms of the abolition:**
Critics, including the real estate industry, argued that removing the scheme eliminated a structured savings mechanism specifically designed to help young people save for home deposits [10].
For those 46,000 account holders who were actively using the scheme, the abolition removed expected government co-contributions and tax benefits they had been counting on.
**Legitimate policy rationale:**
The government's decision was based on evidence that the scheme was failing to achieve its objectives.
The scheme's design flaws - particularly the four-year minimum savings period and $1,000 annual contribution requirement - created barriers that limited participation.
For young people struggling with cost-of-living pressures, locking away savings for four years with restricted access was unattractive [5].
**Subsequent policy evolution:**
The Coalition demonstrated continued commitment to first home buyer assistance through alternative approaches:
- The **First Home Super Saver Scheme (2017)** allows voluntary super contributions for home deposits with tax advantages [8]
- The **First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (2020)** allows purchases with 5% deposits without Lenders Mortgage Insurance [9]
These schemes reached significantly more Australians than the FHSA scheme ever did.
**Key context**: While the Coalition did scrap this specific scheme, they subsequently introduced more popular and effective alternatives.
The Coalition's subsequent introduction of alternative first home buyer assistance programs that achieved broader reach
The source (rebonline.com.au) has a vested interest as a real estate industry publication, which undermines its objectivity on housing stimulus measures.
來源 lái yuán ( ( rebonline rebonline . . com com . . au au ) ) 作為 zuò wèi 房地 fáng dì 產產業 chǎn chǎn yè 刊物 kān wù 存在 cún zài 既得利益 jì dé lì yì , , 這 zhè 削弱 xuē ruò 其 qí 在 zài 住房 zhù fáng 刺激 cì jī 措施 cuò shī 上 shàng 的 de 客觀性 kè guān xìng 。 。
最終分數
6.0
/ 10
真實
此主張 cǐ zhǔ zhāng 在 zài 事實 shì shí 上 shàng 是 shì 正確 zhèng què 的 de — — — — Coalition Coalition 政府 zhèng fǔ 確實 què shí 廢 fèi 除了 chú le 首次 shǒu cì 購屋 gòu wū 儲蓄 chǔ xù 帳戶 zhàng hù 計畫 jì huà 。 。
The claim is factually accurate - the Coalition did scrap the First Home Saver Accounts scheme.
The Coalition's subsequent introduction of alternative first home buyer assistance programs that achieved broader reach
The source (rebonline.com.au) has a vested interest as a real estate industry publication, which undermines its objectivity on housing stimulus measures.
來源 lái yuán ( ( rebonline rebonline . . com com . . au au ) ) 作為 zuò wèi 房地 fáng dì 產產業 chǎn chǎn yè 刊物 kān wù 存在 cún zài 既得利益 jì dé lì yì , , 這 zhè 削弱 xuē ruò 其 qí 在 zài 住房 zhù fáng 刺激 cì jī 措施 cuò shī 上 shàng 的 de 客觀性 kè guān xìng 。 。