Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry; was that an apology you wanted to make to the parliament for your shameful neglect of housing? No. You are still not able to apologise for that neglect.

It's an ambitious goal, but we are training the workforce to get the job done. We're funding more apprenticeships. We're providing fee-free TAFE places in the construction industry and training tradies. We're cutting red tape so construction projects can get moving and we're developing the infrastructure needed for new developments and social housing such as roads, sewerage, energy and water connections needed to facilitate new developments.

As per the Constitution, the Labor government is working in partnership with the states and territories. The Help to Buy scheme is an innovative policy that will give 40,000 Australians on low and middle incomes the opportunity to purchase that dream home. The scheme will support the purchase and construction of new and existing homes, including houses, house-and-land packages, townhouses and apartments. The scheme assists participants with overcoming what can seem to be insurmountable problems, particularly in Melbourne and Sydney. If you are renting and saving for a deposit and servicing a mortgage, that is a big challenge. Under Help to Buy, participants will have a smaller deposit, small home loan and lower mortgage repayments. Help to Buy will turn the dreams of homeownership into reality for 40,000 Australians. It will also provide long-term financial relief and security. Thankfully, all the state and territory leaders have committed to passing it.

Our housing reforms also include the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, which is part of the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme. It has already helped more than 110,000 people into homeownership in two years—double the number of people supported under the former LNP government. Let's talk a bit more about the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. It is a targeted initiative to support eligible homebuyers with getting into their own homes more quickly. There will be 10,000 places available in the scheme from 1 July this year through to the end of June 2025. Administered by Housing Australia, it stands as guarantor for part of the homebuyer's loan from a participating lender. What does this mean for the first home buyer? It means assistance with purchasing their first home with as little as a five per cent deposit and with no need for mortgage insurance. There is also a great deal of flexibility for prospective buyers. They can select from an existing house, a townhouse or apartment, a house-and-land package, land and a separate contract to build a house or even an off-the-plan apartment or townhouse. This scheme is directly supporting hardworking regional Australians into their own homes.

The LNP take the bush for granted, whilst the Albanese government highly values regional Australia. These communities are central to our plan for a prosperous and resilient future. We are committed to boosting jobs, infrastructure and skills that will enhance our thriving regional communities. The Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee is just another example of the multifaceted approach that Labor is taking to solving this horrific housing crisis.

The Housing Australia Future Fund is the single biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade. We've negotiated a $9.3 billion five-year national agreement on social housing and homelessness with the states and territories to reduce homelessness, to provide crisis support and to build and repair social housing. As part of this, we've doubled Commonwealth homelessness funding to $400 million every year. The Albanese government's ambitious housing reform agenda has made significant progress in solving the housing challenges that were left to us. This is despite the opposition and the Greens political party blocking housing initiatives that would make a positive impact in communities around the country. That's why this government will keep working hard to fix the housing crisis and to get more Australians into their own homes.

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