Treasurer Scott Morrison is meeting his state and territory counterparts to thrash out a way to ease the housing affordability pressures dogging parts of Australia.
But what seems unlikely is Mr Morrison bending to NSW Premier Mike Baird's suggestion this week of a review of tax concessions, such as negative gearing, as part of housing affordability discussions as proposed by his planning minister Rob Stokes
Mr Morrison fought tooth and nail against the changes to negative gearing proposed by Labor during this year's federal election.
The treasurer on Friday said abolishing negative gearing would hit mum-and-dad investors in rental properties, pushing prices up and putting immense pressure on the market.
"That's why I've never been a supporter of it, particularly because its mum-and-dad investors who own the rental stock in Australia," Mr Morrison told ABC Radio.
Flagging Friday's talks with the nation's treasurers in October, Mr Morrison insisted resolving housing affordability was not a "one-issue" solution.
This week he said it was more than just about saving to buy a home in Sydney or Melbourne as 30 per cent of Australians renting need to be considered as well.
He wasn't about to do something which is going to jack up their rents, which was the result of negative gearing changes last time, although federal shadow treasurer Chris Bowen dismisses that argument as a "furphy".
But Housing Industry Association chief executive Graham Wolfe stresses housing affordability isn't going to be addressed by political point scoring around negative gearing.
He says it's the taxes and levies that are charged on every new home that overwhelmingly defeat all attempts to reduce housing costs.
"State-based stamp duty on the purchase of a typical new home alone adds a $91 per month burden on household mortgage repayments," Mr Wolfe says.
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt told state parliament on Thursday he would be seeking the renewal of at least 32 expiring national partnership agreements including early childhood education, skills reform, homelessness and adult dental services.
Friday's meeting in Canberra will also discuss proposed changes to competition laws resulting from the recent Harper review.
