Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. As you may recall, Minister, last week you did not know how many houses the Housing Australia Future Fund had built. My question is: do you know the number they've built as at today?

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

I'm asked about housing numbers. Can I give you a housing number, Senator? I'll give you the number of 80,000 homes that you are trying to stop being built, with the position that you have announced in the opposition to the build-to-rent regulations. I would make this point: we are getting on the job. We are delivering 55,000 social and affordable homes; 18,000 homes are in planning or construction through the HAFF and—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Bragg?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm reluctant to have to raise a point of order, but the question was very clear: how many houses has the Housing Australia Future Fund completed—built?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister is being relevant. I will listen.

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

Already 18,000 homes are in planning and construction through the Housing Australia Future Fund and the National Housing Accord. I'll give you another number, Senator: 5,000 social and affordable homes that, during the caretaker period, we asked you for support to sign contracts on, and you refused. So this opposition—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I can barely hear the minister's response.

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

So not only did the coalition delay the Housing Australia Future Fund, thereby holding up additional supply—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am waiting for order.

Senator Ruston, I'm not quite sure which part of me calling for order you failed to respond to.

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

Not only did the coalition delay the Housing Australia Future Fund, thereby preventing housing construction from starting, but during the election campaign the minister wrote to the opposition asking that 5,000 homes could proceed under the caretaker conventions, and you said no. Now you have 80,000 homes—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Cash?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a point of order in relation to direct relevance. The question, with all due respect, could not have been clearer: does the minister know how many homes that have been built? There is a fundamental difference between a built home and a press release.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll draw the minister back to the question.

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

As I said, I've already given the number of houses which are currently in planning or construction under the HAFF and the National Housing Accord facility. I think it is reasonable—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Bragg?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on relevance—the question was: how many have been built?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the minister is being relevant to the question, Senator Bragg.

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

Senator Bragg, I know that you don't want to see 580 HAFF projects in Merrylands delivered, 10 in Casino and South Grafton, 144 in Maroubra, 221 in Macquarie Park and Lane Cove and— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bragg, first supplementary?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As at—

I'm not a member of that club, thank you.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators!

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, thank you, Senator Ayres, but I was asking for silence. Senator Bragg, I'm going to invite you to begin again, and restart the clock.

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As at 31 March 2025, Minister, it seems that just $223 million of the required $500 million had being debited from the Housing Australia Future Fund account. Minister, was the remaining $277 million debited to spend on houses between 1 April and 30 June this year?

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

I'm asked a question by Senator Bragg, or Braggy, as his colleagues call him—I quite like that—about the lack of expenditure from a fund that they wanted to abolish, that they held up and that, during the election, they refused to allow expenditure from. Just so I get that clear, Senator Bragg, you're asking for expenditure from a fund that you wanted to abolish, that you opposed and held up and that, during the election campaign—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

I've asked for order. Senator Cash and Senator McGrath, order!

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why won't you answer the question?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, come to order!

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

I again repeat it, because it really bears some repeating, doesn't it? The coalition is asking us why there hasn't been more spent from a fund that they opposed and wanted to abolish. Their election costings abolish it. I'm not surprised you're embarrassed.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bragg?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, the question was about the financial outgoings of this scheme.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's right. You asked about the scheme, and the minister is entitled to respond to your question, and the minister is being relevant.

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

But it is interesting, President, that they complain about the money out of the scheme being less than it should be when they actually wanted all of it abolished, they held it up and they, during the election campaign, refused to agree to 5,000 houses being commenced out of the HAFF. That's your policy. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bragg, second supplementary?

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think we'll just have one more go at this. The questions are: How many houses have been built as at today, and how much of that money was spent in the last quarter of the last financial year? It's two simple questions.

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

I've already answered the question about the number of houses that are currently in construction or being planned. What I would say to the coalition is that I think Australians understand—including from the display today—that there is only one party that is seeking to add to housing supply in this country, and that is the Australian Labor Party. There are parties that have always stood in the way of more houses for Australia and are continuing to stand in the way of more houses for Australians, and they are the coalition, led by, obviously, Ms Ley but also Senator Bragg, who seems to have this ideological view that governments shouldn't help to provide housing. Well, we have a different view, Senator Bragg. We have a different view; we want to build more houses for more Australians. (Time expired)