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

I thank the member for McPherson for his question. It's actually a really important question, and I'm glad he's asked it of me. Migration is a piece of the puzzle here, and that is exactly why our government has acted to bring migration down. This is the detail that seems to get lost with those opposite: migration is now almost half what it reached after its post-COVID high.

Now, if I can say really respectfully to those opposite, the main game here is that we've got to build more homes for Australians. For forty years, our country has not been building enough homes. Those opposite can laugh and guffaw and play politics. Those opposite can laugh and guffaw all they like; I encourage them to do it. Opposition is a very frustrating time. I completely understand. But the truth is we've got to take this problem seriously, and the serious answer is that we've got to build, build, build. That is why our government has the boldest and most ambitious housing policy that a Commonwealth government has had for 70 years—$47 billion, and the main goal and the main game is building, building, building.

I say again, respectfully, to those opposite that it takes a little bit of moxie to be coming into this parliament and asking me, as housing minister, questions about the housing crisis that those opposite played a very significant hand in creating for our country.

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