Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

He made appearances on corflutes last Saturday, Mr Speaker. He mightn't have been able to go to New South Wales, but we made sure he was there. We made sure he had a big presence. And I'll give you the big tip: he'll be there in Aston, too, on Saturday.

The Greens party ask about housing policy and ask about the cost of housing. I say to the Greens political party: pass our Housing Australia Future Fund. You can't have credibility coming in here and saying: 'We don't think $10 billion is enough. We want $20 billion. Therefore, we'll oppose $10 billion.' It's just absurd to vote for zero rather than to vote for progress. The Housing Australia Future Fund is on top of the Housing Accord, it's on top of the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement, and it's on top of the homelessness plan that we have. It's in addition to Commonwealth rent assistance as well. All of those measures represent a comprehensive plan.

But one of the things that we do not have control over is a rent freeze, and the member knows quite well that we are not able, as a Commonwealth government, to flick a switch and demand a rent freeze. He knows that that is not possible. He knows it's not real, and he should do better than come in here and make statements that we knows can't be delivered. We can deliver something. He can talk to his senators across there and say unblock the filibuster and the nonsense that's around the Housing Australia Future Fund. That will make a difference for emergency housing, and that will make a difference for affordable and social housing.

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