Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in opposition to this motion from Senator Bragg. We have here yet another housing stunt from Senator Bragg that attempts to deny everyday Australians the right to safe and affordable housing. This is the second time in as many months we've had to come in here and remind those opposite of some basic truths about housing in Australia. Last month Senator Bragg told us that the Australian dream of homeownership is slipping away. This week he's called our policies on housing 'crazy ideas' and has vowed to stand in the way of real progress to tackle the housing challenges we're seeing across the country, and now, with this disallowance, he wants to raise taxes on builders and rip away incentives that are unlocking tens of thousands of new rental homes.

The Liberals have no credibility on housing. The Liberals are housing hypocrites, and Australians can see right through it; they know the facts. Under the Liberals, housing affordability went backwards. They slashed investment, left supply entirely to the market and did nothing meaningful for renters. They did not build homes. They didn't even have a housing minister at the cabinet table. And since they were booted out of government by the Australian people in 2022, they have done nothing but stand in the way of meaningful action to get more people into homes. They have opposed the Housing Australia Future Fund, they've argued to scrap our housing target and now they're trying to stand in the way of our build-to-rent scheme. Instead of working constructively with us to tackle this issue, they stand in the way.

The matter before us today relates to legislation passed last year to boost build-to-rent housing—new rentals with five-year leases and no-fault evictions. Ultimately, it's about increasing rental supply and giving tenants more certainty. Independent experts have said it strikes the right balance, and industry estimates show it will support 80,000 new homes across the country. Let me say that again: 80,000 new homes for renters. Are these guys serious? They propose to stand in the way of 80,000 homes for Australians and to stand in the way of affordable rental housing for Australians who need it. It's really no wonder that the coalition went backwards at the election in May.

Senator Bragg claims our build-to-rent reforms are a foreign investor tax cut and promote the Australian nightmare of lifelong renting. That's pure fearmongering. We know that, in order to tackle this housing challenge, we have to pull every lever. We must do everything we can. Build to rent doesn't stop anyone buying a home. It builds new rental supply, which we desperately need, and, after a decade of Liberal neglect on housing, threatening to rip away the incentives to drive 80,000 rental homes is the real nightmare.

To qualify for these tax settings, developments must meet strict conditions: at least 50 dwellings under single ownership for 15 years, minimum five-year leases as the default, at least 10 per cent of dwellings offered at affordable rental rates capped below market and stronger renter protections, including bans on no-fault evictions. It's targeted policy to deliver long-term rental supply and stability. This is just one part of Labor's $43 billion Homes for Australia plan, because we know that tackling the housing crisis, which has come from a decade of neglect from those opposite, takes work from every angle. That's what we're doing—building more homes, getting more people into their first homes, getting more people into affordable homes, making renting more affordable and making renting fairer. This is the most comprehensive housing agenda in a generation.

We are investing at every stage. Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced we will bring forward our plan to deliver five per cent deposits for first-home buyers to 1 October. We're delivering the biggest boost to rental assistance in three decades. We're building 55,000 social and affordable homes and making record investment in crisis accommodation. We're setting an ambitious target of 1.2 million new well-located homes in five years. We're training more tradies in construction and attracting more of them too, with our $10,000 incentive payment. We're streamlining planning, cutting red tape and supporting modern methods—like prefab construction—to speed up builds where we can. All of this is about one thing—more homes for Australians, making it easier to buy, easier to rent and easier to build more homes. Finding an affordable place to live should not be a struggle. Whether you're a renter or a homeowner, we are standing with you to make housing more available and more affordable.

Senator Bragg has brought two motions on housing to this chamber in two months. He spends a lot of time talking about our housing agenda, but not once has Senator Bragg put forward a credible plan to build a single home, and his colleagues are much the same. All we get is negativity and obstruction, but Australians deserve better than that. Australians who are renting or looking to rent deserve better than that. Australians who want to buy their first home deserve better than that—better than the negativity that we're seeing from those opposite. Only Labor has the plan, the commitment and the determination to deliver more homes. That is why I urge the chamber to defeat this motion.