Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Waters for the question. This government is rolling out, as Senator Wong outlined in an earlier answer, a very ambitious housing agenda that we started in 2022 when we came to government, to make sure that we are doing everything we can to increase the supply of housing across the economy. That has been our focus. Our tax policies on housing haven't changed.

We've said a number of times—I've heard the Treasurer say it a number of times; I know it was raised at the Economic Reform Roundtable—that we do think there are intergenerational issues in housing. Our work over the last three years or so has been on the supply side and on making sure that we are doing everything we can, whether it's working with the states and territories to deal with some of the planning and regulation around housing that delay the construction of housing and add to costs or whether it is actually dealing with the social and affordable end of the housing market, which the Housing Australia Future Fund plays a role in. Our social housing accelerator is another example where we have, again, worked hard to target some of that assistance to deliver increased supply, and we are seeing some early good signs in terms of building approvals, new dwelling construction and dwelling commencements. We are seeing some pleasing signs in that area.

The measures that all governments across Australia—it's not just the Commonwealth government but all of us—are working on to deliver an outcome on housing are starting to work. There is more to do, and we will consider all of these things as we put the budget together over the next few months.