Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. The government's own budget papers say a further 1.5 million people will come to Australia over five years, but Labor's half-baked Housing Australia Future Fund is only promising to provide 30,000 homes over that same five-year period. Where will the other 1.47 million people live?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member opposite for his question and for another opportunity to talk about our ambitious housing agenda.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Deakin has asked his question.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would say to the member opposite that we know that under their plan migration would have been higher than is being predicted in the budget.

Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's exactly right. He left out that bit!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Home Affairs is warned.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed, the member for Wannon over here just last year said:

Well, we need to get our international students back, we need to get our working holiday visa maker visa holders back. We've got to … get all those people back as soon as we can.

That shows that they actually wanted more people here.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause.

The member for Barker will cease interjecting. I'll hear from the member for Deakin.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I appreciate we're only 30 seconds into the question, but my question did not invite a comparison. I want the minister to answer the question, and she should refer to the 1.5 million migrants that Labor is bringing in.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was also talking about Labor's policy. I'm going to invite the minister to return to that part of the question. She is being directly relevant. It was a broad question. If you include statements about Labor's policy, or however you describe that, that means the minister can refer to Labor policy as part of the answer. I give the call to the minister, and I will be listening carefully to what she says.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very happy to talk about the Housing Australia Future Fund, the fund that those opposite are opposing both down here, where they voted against it, and in the Senate, where they are still holding up a vote on it. That is 30,000 social and affordable rental homes that you are not supporting—

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did you drop 20,000 off?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

that could be on the ground faster—homes for people that need them most.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How are those million homes going? You don't mention them anymore.

Honourable members interjecting —

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Deakin will cease interjecting. So will the member for Lalor.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We moved immediately by unlocking $575 million for more social and affordable rental homes. We had the National Housing Accord in our last budget, with funding for another 10,000 affordable homes, to be matched by the states and territories—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bowman is warned.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to be matched by the states and territories with another 10,000 affordable homes—20,000 affordable homes coming out of the National Housing Accord. And, of course, in the last budget there was another $2 billion in financing for the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, which will be up to another 7,000 affordable rental homes. We are investing at every opportunity in more homes.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Deakin, if he interjects one more time, will leave the chamber.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The build-to-rent changes in the budget, the Property Council has said, will be between 150,000 and 200,000 additional units here in Australia because of changes that our government made.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bowman will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Bowman then left the chamber.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite had no plan when it comes to housing. We have a plan, and the Housing Australia Future Fund is part of that. It's critical to it in terms of building capacity in the community housing sector and leveraging institutional investment.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals is on a warning.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We want this fund to get through the Senate, and every day of delay is the fault of senators in your party and the Greens party. These are homes for people that need them most. These are homes for women and children fleeing family violence. They're homes for older women at risk of homelessness and homes for our veterans who are at risk of homelessness.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We want to get more homes on the ground more quickly, and you are standing in the way of that. We're about to go out to consultation for our National Housing and Homelessness Plan. The other side really need to get out of the way when it comes to the Housing Australia Future Fund. We have a comprehensive, ambitious plan. It is being supported by every state and territory housing minister. It's being supported by the housing peaks. It's being supported by the HIA and by the Master Builders association. Our Housing Australia Future Fund is being supported by everybody, it seems, except the Liberal senators and the Greens senators. It is being supported because it's a good idea to get more investment into housing right across the country.