Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services. Can the minister outline for the House how this government is standing by Australian families through affordable housing targeted at vulnerable Australians? Is he aware of alternative approaches?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for his question. He is a very strong advocate for measures designed to assist Australians, including vulnerable Australians, to access the housing that they need, and he has a longstanding interest in serious and important matters of concern to the Australian people, unlike the trivial and silly stuff that we so often see from the other side. One of the key elements of our Liberal-National government policies to support Australians in the provision of housing is Commonwealth rent assistance: $4.5 billion a year to more than 1.3 million individuals and families, supporting people in the private rental market.

If we are to be able to deliver this kind of support for people who need it, it is so important that we have a sustainable social welfare system. If people who are eligible for Commonwealth rent assistance come to the Commonwealth and seek it, they need to know that the Commonwealth has the capacity to pay, and that is why it is so important to have a sustainable welfare system, to have a strong economy, so that we can fund the services that Australians rely upon. When Labor was in government, tax revenue was growing at 3.3 per cent a year, but spending on social security and welfare was growing at nearly twice that, and that is unsustainable. Under this government, we're in a position where tax revenue is growing at 5.2 per cent and social security and welfare spending is growing at 3.7 per cent. That is a sustainable social welfare system.

We are backing and supporting Australians in obtaining housing through a whole package of measures, including $1.5 billion for the new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. That is funding to state and territory governments which is linked to outcomes in priority areas such as aggregate supply targets, including targets for social and affordable housing, the renewal of public housing stock and homelessness services. We're maintaining annual homelessness funding over three years. What did the CEO of Homes for Homes say? He said:

The Government's investment in Homes for Homes demonstrates they are serious about supporting innovative new ways to tackle Australia's housing crisis.

It is so important that we have a sustainable social welfare system, and a strong budget and economy, so that we can support Australians in need. That is what our Liberal-National government has consistently been delivering.