Jess Teesdale (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel. What support is the Albanese Labor government providing to our veterans when it comes to housing, and did anyone seek to delay this support for our veterans?

Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for her very important question. I know she is concerned to ensure, as I think we all are, that our veterans receive the very best care when they need it and as they deserve. We know that people do better when they have a roof over their head, but we also know that we are in a position to be able to help our veterans get back onto their feet more quickly and get them the support services that they need as well. When people have put on our nation's uniform on our behalf, we have an obligation to make sure that they get that support. Every year, about 6,000 veterans find themselves at risk of homelessness.

It's why, in the lead-up to the 2022 election, as part of our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, we specifically committed $30 million of funding to support housing for veterans as well as those wraparound support services. We are doing that to support veterans all over the country with better wellbeing support through our veterans and families hubs and, of course, through our Veterans' Acute Housing Program, which is going to support up to 78 dwellings to provide crisis and transitional accommodation for our veterans and families. It'll mean we'll see housing rolled out across the Far North Queensland, in southern New South Wales, in the southern suburbs of Perth, in Central Queensland, in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, in Victoria and all across the country. Service provision is expected to roll out, commencing from the beginning of 2026, and we'll see more bricks-and-mortar facilities coming through and being delivered all the way through to 2028.

You might say, as we hear often from those opposite: 'Why is it taking so long? That was an election commitment in 2022.' And they would be right to ask that question, especially when you consider that it is the voices of those opposite that cause such delay. I think it's worth drawing to the parliament's attention that we're rolling out veteran housing and support in the electorate of the Leader of the Opposition, in the electorate of Flynn and in the electorate of Cowper. Yet, it's those members who were holding up the legislation that would enable us to deliver those support services, just like they're holding up the build-to-rent scheme in the Senate right now. The opposition here has form when it comes to not delivering housing. We are going about delivering housing to support our veterans. We've got the funding going out the door, finally, after delay caused by you, Leader of the Opposition. You caused delay for veteran support in your electorate. If you want to raise it—you were to blame for the delay in that housing being provided.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! I'm going to remind ministers, and particularly Minister Keogh—and it is becoming a little apparent to everyone—that the term 'you' is not the correct term to use when answering and addressing through the chair.