Michael Sukkar Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services
2:47 pm
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
I thank the member opposite for his question and for another opportunity to talk about our ambitious housing agenda.
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
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
That's exactly right. He left out that bit!
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
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
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
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
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
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
Why did you drop 20,000 off?
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
that could be on the ground faster—homes for people that need them most.
Michael Sukkar Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services
How are those million homes going? You don't mention them anymore.
Honourable members interjecting —
Milton Dick Speaker
The member for Deakin will cease interjecting. So will the member for Lalor.
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
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—
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
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
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
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
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
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.
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
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.
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business
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.