Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

We know that turning all this around will take some national leadership. We also know we need to change the levers and we need to work with the states and territories, which is what the Housing Australia Future Fund is all about. It's about working with other tiers of government. It's about working with community housing providers. It's about working with institutional investors to get more houses on the ground more quickly. Today, as the Prime Minister has pointed out, we've heard from some critical organisations about why we need to get this done. Emma Greenhalgh from National Shelter said:

We badly need government investment and intervention and time is of the essence. This is a national crisis, action can not be deferred.

Here is a peak body of providers saying that this is urgent, because it is urgent. Of course we have Wendy Hayhurst from community housing, who said:

We need to get moving on building a better supply of social and affordable housing and these three pieces of legislation are important building blocks.

They know we have to get moving on this quickly because it is urgent and there are people on the ground who need us to get this done. Kate Colvin, from Homelessness Australia, said, 'It's important that the Housing Australia Future Fund, Housing Australia and other key bodies get going now,' because this is urgent. We need to get it done.

We are being told by these organisations that we need to get it done quickly, so I say to members in this place, particularly members of the coalition over here and members of the Greens: talk to your senators. Tell them how urgent it is that we get this done. Talk to some of these organisations. I say to them: what you are saying is 'no' to actually getting homes on the ground for people who need it most.

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