It appears tackling the issue of housing affordability is such a complex issue, several federal government departments are involved in a package which will be the centrepiece of Treasurer Scott Morrison's May budget.
But it is the prime minister's department that is steering the project, rather than Treasury, a Senate hearing was told on Tuesday.
Treasury official Marty Robinson told the inquiry the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet had become involved because the work overlapped with the department's work on cities policy.
Malcolm Turnbull last week flagged expanding his "city deals", announced during the 2016 election campaign, in a bid to make housing more affordable.
Treasury is responsible for housing supply issues and the Department of Social Services oversees housing affordability and homelessness.
The Reserve Bank of Australia is also prepared to take more action if growth in investor home loans remains stubbornly high.
Assistant governor Michelle Bullock says the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's directive to limit banks annual growth in their loans to investors to 10 per cent has addressed some risks.
"We are continuing to monitor their ongoing effects and are prepared to do more if needed," she said in a speech in Sydney.
Michael Sukkar, who was promoted to the government frontbench this year to put together the government's housing affordability package, has promised the budget will look at ways of "unleashing" supply.
He has also given in-principle support for Victoria's plan to tax residential property investors who leave assets vacant.
While he said it's up to individuals to do what they want their investment property, he doesn't want homes left vacant.
But he hosed down speculation the budget would allow first home buyers to tap their superannuation for a home deposit.
"If all government does is try to pump further liquidity to the residential housing market then inevitably all you do is push up prices," Mr Sukkar said.
While previous first home owners grants were well intended, they might as well have been paid straight to property developers.
The minister also refused to rule in or out any changes to housing tax concessions.
"There is wild speculation every day ... many of which are just untrue," he said.
Mr Sukkar labelled Labor's plan to limit negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount as "destructive" and masquerading as housing policies when they were basically housing taxes.
Senior Labor frontbencher Brendan O'Connor hit back, saying the coalition government was in its fourth year of office and had yet to address housing affordability "in any way whatsoever".
It was not just about foreign investors speculating in the housing market, he said.
"It's the speculation that's happening massively in this country where people are looking to get their eighth investment property which is locking out people trying to get into the housing market at all," he said.
However, the latest Essential Research poll shows only four in five respondents support the idea of removing negative gearing.
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