Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Housing) Share this | Hansard source

What a great question from our fantastic new member for Melbourne. We had to worry a bit about the old member for Melbourne, but there is no question that we have a pro-housing member in place in an electorate where, without question, the biggest challenge facing her constituents is our nation's housing crisis. I know that she's very proud that, thanks to our build-to-rent changes alone, more than 11,000 secure rentals are in progress in her electorate, with more on the way.

Australia's housing crisis has been 40 years in the making. For all of the complexities involved here, there is one simple truth in the heart of it. For that 40-year period, our country has not been building enough homes. Today the housing shortage has become one of the biggest pressures on the lives of Australians. That is why, under this Prime Minister, we are tackling the housing crisis from every possible angle. We're delivering and we're seeing real results for Australians right around the country. Since we've been elected, 180,000 Australians have bought their first home under our five per cent deposit program—and, in case you haven't heard, we're expanding this program to all new homebuyers from 1 October. The days of the 20 per cent deposit are over. It is not just that. A million households around our country have got an almost 50 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance. Half a million homes have been built around our country since we've been in office. New housing approvals are up 30 per cent. We've got 28,000 social and affordable homes in planning or construction. Our build-to-rent scheme is unlocking 80,000 new secure rentals across the city.

I'm asked about alternative approaches. I have to say, coming into this new parliament, I was filled with a sense of optimism about the kind of housing conversation that we were going to be able to have. I thought, 'Those opposite have been sent a really clear message at the election, and I hope they're going to listen to it.' I thought we'd have a bit of fresh air in the parliament and a few new faces, and maybe we'd have an opposition that would come into this parliament and work with us constructively to try to address one of the biggest problems in people's lives. Imagine my disappointment when I saw the activities of those opposite over the last few weeks on housing. It wasn't enough that they spent a decade on these benches doing absolutely nothing about a crisis that was building before their very eyes. It wasn't enough that over the last three years those opposite have been consistently housing hypocrites. What we've seen those opposite do is complain daily in the media about what's going wrong, and then, every time they've had the opportunity to do something about it, they've come in, blocked it and delayed action on housing. Don't forget they voted against the Housing Australia Future Fund; they're at it again today in the Senate. We've got a clear plan: build more homes, get renters a better deal and get more Australians into homeownership.

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