NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has shrugged off Barnaby Joyce's suggestion priced-out Sydneysiders pack their bags and head bush for an affordable home.
The deputy prime minister is annoyed by views Sydney is the "only" place to buy, arguing there's plenty of affordable houses and jobs in the regions for those with the "gumption" to move.
But Ms Berejiklian doesn't agree that's the solution for people left on the financial backfoot by Sydney house prices,
"A good society gives people choices," she told ABC radio on Wednesday.
"What I've articulated as one of my top three priorities of housing affordability is that the average person, who works in Sydney - if they want to buy a home in Sydney - it shouldn't be out of reach for them," the new premier said.
Ms Berejiklian wants to make housing affordability a key pillar of her time as premier.
But she's unlikely to follow the lead of predecessor Mike Baird and push the federal government to scrap negative gearing tax breaks used by many mum-and-dad property investors.
"I don't feel that at this stage that is something that I would necessarily touch in relation to housing affordability," she said.
"The first and biggest challenge in Sydney and NSW is still supply - we just do not have enough houses coming on to the market quickly enough to meet demand."
The premier on Monday said she was open to considering changes to stamp duty tax.
State treasurer Dominic Perrotett hasn't ruled out stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers buying existing homes, according to a Daily Telegraph interview published on Wednesday.
