Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Can I start by acknowledging my beautiful kids in the gallery today and welcoming them to Parliament House.

To improve housing and housing security, governments must listen to those on the front line. That's why the Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Clare O'Neil, and I recently held the Bonner housing and homelessness roundtable, bringing together 19 local organisations, from housing providers and builders to crisis support services and not-for-profits. We discussed how we can unlock more housing, especially for those most vulnerable and for first home buyers.

During the roundtable we also heard from local organisations already making a difference, like the IJ Group in Hemmant building modular homes; from charities like Beyond DV, with their Hope Hub in Carindale, who support women and children escaping family and domestic violence to find safe housing; and from community housing providers such as Gateway Housing in Murarrie, who are crucial in delivering homes under the Housing Australia Future Fund.

Only Labor is backing the first home owners five per cent deposit scheme. Already, 458 people in Bonner have bought their first home with a five per cent deposit or less. Only Labor has strengthened housing by increasing the Commonwealth rent assistance by almost 50 per cent, and 6, 785 people in my community of Bonner have already benefited. Labor is delivering housing for all Australians.

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