Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition is the party of homeownership. We want to see every single Australian—especially younger Australians—realise their dream of owning their own home. Labor has created the worst housing affordability crisis in decades, driven by an historic collapse in homebuilding and by record migration for which the government has completely failed to plan. It is Labor's failure to manage and plan for migration, and Labor's failure to deliver meaningful housing reforms—and that is what is impacting on housing availability today. When we're talking about a housing crisis in this country, we must focus on why we are here in this situation, and the real reason is clear: it is the mismanagement of the Albanese Labor government, it is Labor's uncontrolled migration policies that are reducing the availability of homes in this country, and it's the Prime Minister's red and green tape policies that are strangling new construction, driving the great Australian dream out of reach. This is urgent because it means many young Australians have lost hope of owning a home of their own.

Migration has always been central to our story. We are a migrant nation built on generations who chose this country and made it their home. But migration must be managed responsibly, with stable settings and long-term planning to ensure housing, jobs, services and infrastructure keep pace. While migration has ballooned, this government has overseen a historic housing construction collapse. Communities are feeling the strain, and the cost of poor planning is being carried by every single Australian, leaving many disappointed at the Prime Minister's lack of leadership. Locking in uncontrolled migration without addressing housing and infrastructure pressures is reckless, and, quite frankly, Australians deserve better.

However, we will seek to amend this motion so that the blame for Australia's housing affordability crisis is entirely sheeted home to the government. The failures of housing policy are not the fault of our migrant communities; they are the fault of the Albanese Labor government. That is why I am seeking leave to move an amendment circulated in my name that changes this motion to read:

"The urgent need to address the failure of the Albanese Government to fix home ownership for the next generation, with Labor's uncontrolled migration policies reducing the availability of homes and Albanese's red and green tape policies strangling new construction and driving the great Australian dream out of reach."

This amendment reflects the urgent need to address the failure of the Albanese government's immigration and housing policies. I seek leave to move the amendment.

Leave granted.

I move the amendment standing in my name:

Omit all words after "the following is a matter of urgency", substitute:

"The urgent need to address the failure of the Albanese Government to fix home ownership for the next generation, with Labor's uncontrolled migration policies reducing the availability of homes and Albanese's red and green tape policies strangling new construction and driving the great Australian dream out of reach."