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

With regard to the number that you've asserted there, I just point you in the direction of the PM's comments and the clarification from National Australia Bank today. Labor has a longstanding concern for Australian renters. Our passion for addressing the issues in Australia's housing market is really about them. This share of our population is in many ways bearing the brunt of 40 years of policy failures in housing. They're in a situation where they're insecure in many of their tenancies and rents are going up too fast and too frequently. Many of them live with that agonising experience of the thing they want most of all, which is homeownership, moving further and further away from them.

That is why our government has the boldest and most comprehensive housing policy of a Commonwealth government in 70 years. What do renters of this country need? They need us to build more homes. They need help with Commonwealth rent assistance, which our government has lifted by 50 per cent, they need improved rental standards, which our prime minister has negotiated with every premier and territory leader, and they need a realistic pathway into homeownership. I might just really politely point out to the parliament that our government is doing all these things. Those opposite largely want to undo them all and create an unfair housing market for Australia's renters.

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