New Liberal senator Maria Kovacic calls for negative gearing changes to tackle housing crisis

Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic gives her first speech in parliament in which she called for tax changes to boost home ownership and greater female participation in the labour market. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The Liberal senator Maria Kovacic has called for tax changes to boost home ownership including capping the number of properties an investor can negatively gear, a stance that puts her at odds with the opposition leader, Peter Dutton.

Kovacic, a New South Wales moderate who filled the vacancy of the late senator Jim Molan, called on the current parliament to do more to tackle the housing crisis in her first Senate speech on Tuesday.