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

Those opposite continue their yapping as usual about the views of industry, but I want to let them know that the Property Council have come out fiercely supporting these changes today. They said, 'These new laws give businesses greater certainty, support better environmental outcomes and speed up housing supply.'

Housing remains a really important challenge for our country, but there are some great green shoots of progress that we're starting to see. Our government is delivering 55,000 much-needed social and affordable homes. We've got building approvals in Australia today up 15 per cent on where they were a year ago. We've got a million households around the country benefiting from our almost 50 per cent increase to Commonwealth rent assistance, and we've seen 59,000 construction places taken up as part of fee-free TAFE.

I was asked about risks to delivery, and there are many—not as many as there were earlier today!—and they sit opposite me. Those opposite had a prime opportunity to use the power that they have in this parliament to help us fix Australia's environmental laws, but what did they do instead? They decided to be completely irrelevant and focus on their favourite activity, which is undermining each other at every single turn. We have got an opposition so divided they are organising separate, clashing drinks events for different leadership contenders. My support sits with the member for Lindsay—

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