Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Senator, I know that it's something that you probably focus on a lot, but do you know what we're focused on? We're focused on delivering all of the policies which will enable more houses to be built and will ensure that we deal with the supply side of housing affordability. That includes our policy announcement on the construction code, which from memory was for a shorter period than you indicated, because obviously there are also other issues which have to be addressed. It is part of a suite of policies which are about more houses, which you're opposed to.

So, if you want to come in here and, frankly, bleat about, 'Well, we had something to say at the last election'—do you know what else you had to say at the last election? 'We're going to abolish the HAFF.' That's what else you had to say at the last election. You wanted to make it very clear to young Australians: 'Actually, we, the coalition—we, the Liberal Party of Australia—are actually against more homes for Australians.' That is the policy you took to the last election. So, Senator Bragg, if you're in the business of actually wanting to reshape your policies from the last election, I would invite you to consider this: Australians rejected your opposition to more houses. So maybe you should discontinue the current position you have, which is to stand in the way of 80,000 more houses for Australians.