Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

A few days ago I did a bit of a shouty speech about homelessness and the thoroughly offensive political games being played with people's lives by those opposite and the Greens political party putting the brakes on social housing so they can campaign about it. I mentioned the $9.5 billion worth of strategies the Albanese government is already doing to address housing supply. Thank goodness there are things we can do as a government that don't need to go through them, otherwise they'd probably block that too.

I want to take this opportunity to explain why this is so important to me. Those opposite and the Greens political party use people experiencing homelessness or housing stress as political pawns in their campaigning strategy. These are real people. Before I came to this place, I ran homelessness services. I sat with people experiencing homelessness. I heard their stories and their desperation. Importantly, I heard their hopes and aspirations, and I celebrated with them when we found them a home. These are real people and real families in dire straits, and I urge those opposite and the Greens political party to get out of the way of housing. Only housing ends homelessness. These are real people's lives you're playing with.

I'd also like to give a call-out to Vinnies for their CEO Sleepout, which is on tonight across Australia. Vinnies provides enormous homelessness services. The funds go direct to services. Please get behind it.

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