Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness. How is the Albanese Labor government working to make sure more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home, and what is standing in the way of further progress?

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

INS (—) (): I want to thank the member for Moreton for his question. I know that he, like all of us on this side of the House and the teals over there, actually want more Australians to be in a safe, affordable place to call home. Indeed, what we announced on the weekend was a further addition to our ambitious housing agenda: we announced a $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator plan. I'm pleased to tell the member for Moreton that that means $398 million in additional funding for his home state of Queensland. I'm also pleased to tell the member for Moreton that we want to deliver that money within the next two weeks and we want it expended or contracted by the governments within two years, because we know how critical it is that we get more homes on the ground as quickly as we can. This is a broad part of our housing agenda. Just this financial year, our government is investing $9.5 billion for social and affordable housing and homelessness services. We are taking the housing challenges seriously.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for some of the other people in this place. Unfortunately and really distressingly, what we saw in the Senate today was quite dismaying for those Australians who are trying to get a safe, affordable place to call home. What we saw was the Liberal Party and the Greens teaming up to, essentially, delay and block funding for social and affordable housing. That's what we saw. This is really tragic for those Australians who are languishing on waiting lists, for those Australians who do want to find someone to call home.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Macnamara is warned.

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

This is really deeply distressing for all of those Australians who had been relying on this funding to get more homes on the ground and for those Australians who need somewhere to live today. Can I tell the House that when we talk about delays to this fund what we're talking about is $250 million for every six-month delay. Every day of delay past 1 July is $1.3 million a day that we are not spending on social and affordable housing for Australians that need it today because those two parties teamed up against very important legislation.

I say to those Australians who are doing it tough out there: we do have a broad housing agenda, and we are getting on with the job. You saw that on the weekend with our significant announcement, with the $575 million we announced last year, with our Housing Accord and with our changes in the last budget. This government is being very serious about getting more homes on the ground and getting more Australians into safe, affordable homes. It's a shame we can't say that about some of the people in this place.