Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Housing. How is the Albanese Labor government building homes for Australians, and how will this week's budget further support housing supply?

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

Order! I can't hear the member for Melbourne's question. As we've done for both sides, she's going to be given the respect that she deserves. I'd like to hear from the member for Melbourne. She'll begin her question again.

Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the minister for housing. How is the Albanese Labor government building more homes for Australians, and how will this week's budget further support housing supply? How does this compare to alternative approaches to housing supply?

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

That is a great question, and I thank the member for Melbourne for asking it. Australia has a housing challenge because for decades our country has not been building enough homes. That is why our Labor government has the boldest and most ambitious agenda on housing that a Commonwealth has had for 70 years: $47 billion, the majority of which is focused on building more homes.

We're making real progress. When we came to office, new commencements for housing were falling by 6.7 per cent. Get this: in the last year alone, new housing commencements have gone up 26 per cent. These are really important improvements, though we've got a long way to go. We recognise that there's more work to do here, and that's why we just delivered a housing budget with $2 billion set aside for enabling infrastructure. This is going to unlock 65,000 homes for the country by delivering the pipes, paths and power that communities need to support more homes. This brings our government's total investment in housing infrastructure up to a record $6.3 billion.

I want Australians to remember that number: $6.3 billion. It's been dropped to the paper by those opposite that they're coming forward with an overwhelming reform tonight to announce a lesser amount of funding: $5 billion for funding. We're already doing $6.3 billion, and not only that but we will add to that number as I continue to announce state based deals for our 100,000 homes policy.

We started this work in our first term and we're building it in our second. With regard to tonight's announcement, whenever I hear a commitment from these sneaky little Liberals and Nationals, I like to look at the record. I like to look at the record of their past behaviour and see whether it stacks up.

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

Order! We're not having those sorts of comments. I ask the minister to withdraw that.

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

I withdraw, Speaker.

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

I ask all members to temper their language.

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

When I'm looking to see the authenticity of those opposite, I like to check on what they did when they were in government. I've talked about a record $6.3 billion in infrastructure investment. I want to see if the parliament can guess how many multiples that is of the money that was spent by those opposite on housing infrastructure in their time in office. Was it twice as much? That would be a lot for us to be spending. Was it three times? Was it 10 times? You're not going to believe this—we are investing 50 times as much money as those opposite did in housing infrastructure. I'm not making that up. It really is quite extraordinary. That's what happens when you can't even be bothered having a housing minister. Labor has a $47 billion plan for the country, and, by God, were we proud to build on that on Tuesday night's housing budget.