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

I thank the member for Makin for his question and for his fantastic advocacy for more housing in his community. Our country is confronting a housing challenge that's been building for 40 years, and this is placing a hugely unfair burden on Australians, on young families, on women and children who are fleeing family violence and particularly on that younger generation who are struggling to find a foothold in the housing market. That is why our government has built the boldest and most ambitious housing agenda that a Commonwealth government has had in this country since the postwar period—$45 billion. We are building more homes, we're getting renters a better deal and we're getting more Australians into homeownership.

My job is about delivery, delivery, delivery. I want to share with the chamber some of the work of our government over the past week. On Monday last week, the member for Fenner and I turned the sod on 315 new homes we are building in Belconnen. The member for Swan turned the sod on 58 Housing Australia Future Fund homes in Riverdale. On Tuesday, the member for Blair announced 24 new social homes in North Ipswich in his electorate. On Wednesday, the member for Gilmore opened 15 new crisis homes in her community. On Thursday, the member for Barton joined the New South Wales Premier to announce 600 new social and affordable homes that are being funded through the Housing Australia Future Fund. On Friday, the member for Cunningham opened six new crisis homes in her electorate, and the member for Bendigo opened 73 new Housing Australia Future Fund homes in her electorate.

If I go back to Monday last week alone, our government turned the sod on 373 homes. That may sound to the parliament like a familiar number—373. That is because that is the total number of homes that those opposite built in nine years governing our country. I'm not making this up. Last Monday, we turned the sod on the same number of homes that they built in almost a decade in what was a national disgrace. These homes join the 570,000 homes that have been built since we came to office, the 6,000 social and affordable homes we've already completed and the 24,000 homes we've got in planning or construction right now.

I've shared a lot of numbers here, but let me bring it right back to the heart of the matter. Our government understands that housing is not just about bricks and mortar. We are helping Australians build the foundation on which they and their families will grow and build a great life in this beautiful country of ours—55,000 social and affordable homes that will change the lives of 55,000 Australians and their families.

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