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. Yesterday you could not confirm whether the 2,000 homes which the housing minister said were completed by the Housing Australia Future Fund were built or acquired. Do you know today if those 2,000 homes were built or acquired?

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

I'm very pleased that you like me so much that you keep asking me the question rather than the representing minister. I also am pleased that you give me the opportunity to again remind everybody that you are standing in the way of 80,000 homes.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The young people up in the gallery.

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

I remind all the young people in the galleries that this gentleman here is standing in the way of more homes being built.

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

This is a point of order on relevance. The question was whether the 2,000 homes had been built or acquired by the government.

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

The minister has just got to her feet and begun to answer the question. I will listen carefully and, if the minister is not being relevant, I will draw her to the question.

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

The advice I have is that more than half a million homes have been built nationwide since Labor was elected, more than 4,000 homes have been completed with Commonwealth investment and 28,000 are in planning and construction stages. In their decade in office, the coalition built 373 social and affordable homes. Congratulations, Senator Bragg! That really is quite an achievement, isn't it—373 homes in a decade? I again remind Senator Bragg that his first housing policy of this parliamentary term is the opposition to 80,000 homes—

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

This is a point of order on relevance. The question was quite clear about the split between how many houses had been built by the Commonwealth and how many had been acquired by the Commonwealth government.

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

Thank you, Senator Bragg. I will draw the minister back to the question.

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

The advice I have is more than 4,000 homes have been completed with Commonwealth investment and 28,000 are in planning and construction stages. I would make the point, Senator Bragg, as you would know, you delayed and opposed the Housing Australia Future Fund. Therefore the fund only announced its first round of funding in September 2024 and, obviously, this has delayed the construction of many homes for Australians.

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

Obviously buying houses rather than building them would make the housing crisis worse. So I ask you again, for the second time, can you please clarify if the HAFF is still purchasing homes in competition with Australians?

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

Sorry, I just missed the first part of the question.

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

So—

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

Order! Senator Bragg, I'm not asking you to go into commentary. Simply repeat the first part of the question.

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

My apologies. I was distracted and I just missed the first part of your question, Senator Bragg.

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

Yes, and I've asked Senator Bragg to repeat just the first couple of sentences, please.

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

As you know, if the government is competing with Australians in the market and buying houses against Australians in a hot market, it's going to make the problem worse, so the question is—

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

You're not really repeating the question, Senator Bragg; you're adding commentary.

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

Well, you've asked me to repeat it. You get the gist.

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

I think I get the gist of it. The senator is making the very good point that housing supply does affect prices, which is why it is passing strange that he, along with his colleagues, has been so opposed to adding to Australia's housing supply. On the one hand he says government shouldn't compete in the market, making the point that supply does affect affordability, but on the other hand he opposes the government's attempts to put more supply into the market.

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

A point of order on relevance. The question was quite clear. We want to seek clarification as to whether the HAFF is still purchasing homes in direct competition with Australians. It was quite clear.

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

Senator Bragg, you will recall that I asked you to repeat the first part of your question, and you chose to add commentary. The minister is now being relevant to all of the comments you made, including your question.

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

Can I again make this point. The coalition complains about housing affordability, but the coalition wanted to abolish the Housing Australia Future Fund, which would have added more supply, thereby making houses more affordable. The coalition also, in this term, opposed the build-to-rent policy, standing in the way of 80,000 homes. Now the coalition want to pretend they care about housing— (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

As we didn't get an answer to that question, the question again is: can you please clarify if the Housing Australia Future Fund is still purchasing homes in direct competition with Australians?

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

I take the point about direct competition, because that really goes to the issue of supply. The problem, Senator, is that your position is utterly illogical. What you are saying to all of these young people is you oppose adding to supply. You oppose the government engaging in the housing market to try and add to supply. These are facts you do not like to hear, aren't they, Senator?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Order!

Senator Ruston, 'order' applies to you.

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

A point of order on relevance. The question was quite clear. We are seeking clarification as to whether the Housing Australia Future Fund is purchasing homes in competition with Australians. It's a very clear question.

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

And 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, can I tell you what we want to do? We want to deliver—

Opposition senators interjecting—

President, may I answer the question?

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! I want there to be silence for the next 23 seconds.

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

These are the Housing Australia Future Fund projects in your state, Senator Bragg, which you don't want to see delivered: 580 in Merrylands and Regents Park, 144 in Maroubra, 221 in Macquarie Park and Lane Cove, 16 in Coonabarabran, and 10 in Casino and South Grafton. These are what you are standing in the way of.