Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've heard some twisted logic in this place before, but the member for Melbourne has tied himself in knots in his remarks. It beggars belief that the Greens would come into this place and say that we need more housing and do it by threatening to stop the construction of 20,000 social housing homes. It beggars belief that the Greens say the answer to the need for more housing is to deny the construction of 4,000 domestic violence places around our country—it beggars belief!

I've heard threats from all sides of politics in the past, but there is no way that the Greens are going to vote against this bill. If they do, they will have to explain that to women and children who are constantly missing out, who are being turned away from shelters. They will have to explain to women who are trying to leave situations of unimaginable danger and violence in their own homes that the Greens didn't think it was up to their lofty standards to support the construction of 4,000 extra dwellings around the country. Spare me! We are, I would hope, united in wanting to see safety for Australian women and children, wherever they are around this country. But, in coming here and lecturing us that the answer is not to support the construction of 4,000 domestic violence homes and 20,000 social housing homes, the Greens are using some of the most twisted and ridiculous logic I have ever heard.

We know that those opposite have an ideological bent against federal involvement in the construction of social housing. We know that because over the last decade that those opposite were in power they time and time again refused to support the construction of social housing. Throughout history, when the Labor Party has been in government at a federal level the federal government has funded the construction of social housing. Curtin and Chifley did it post World War II. Whitlam made one of the largest investments in social housing. The Hawke and Keating governments invested in social housing. The Rudd and Gillard governments—under the then Minister for Housing, now Minister for the Environment, the member for Sydney—made massive investments in social housing.

It shouldn't matter what political colour the government of Australia is. All governments should be investing in the provision of social housing, and I'm proud that the bill before the House, the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023, is the single largest contribution to social housing a federal government has made in well over a decade. It will construct 20,000 homes, 4,000 of which will be allocated to women and children leaving domestic violence situations and to women on low incomes. It will also construct 10,000 affordable homes.

It is not the only work going on around the country. We'll also be working with states and territories and superannuation funds in the Housing Accord that the Treasurer announced in the budget. It comes as part of a big suite of reforms that we are doing to get the federal government back to the table around the provision of housing. It's not the only thing, but it is a crucial step forward. We know that those opposite have an ideological bent against support for and construction of social housing by federal governments. It is nothing but ideology. But we on this side of the House understand the importance of a safe and secure roof over one's head, and every single Australian deserves a safe and secure roof.

So I say to this House that this is a big step forward. This is a good bill, and I congratulate the Minister for Housing and also the Minister for Education, who was the shadow minister for housing and helped design this policy. This policy will help thousands of Australians. This policy that we are debating will mean that literally thousands of women and children are not turned away from domestic violence shelters. This policy means that nurses and other frontline workers, like police and cleaners, will have an affordable home to live in. This policy will get the federal government back into the provision of housing in Australia.

If those opposite don't want to be on this side of history, that's a matter for them, and it has always been their ideological bent. But to the Greens: for goodness sake, you cannot call yourselves serious about supporting those in social housing by denying them 20,000 social homes. You cannot call yourselves serious about protecting women and children by denying 4,000 women and children—on a single night—a safe place to go. That is not how you progress things.

I hope that all members of this place support this bill and that we take a giant leap forward in the provision of social housing and the provision of safe and secure housing for Australians, who deserve it.

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