Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Families and Social Services. Why did the assistant minister for homelessness claim that the rate of homelessness is 'not ahead of population growth' when, in fact, homelessness is growing at nearly double the rate of Australia's population?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the shadow minister for his question. Our Morrison government has a very strong track record when it comes to housing, including very significant funding of over $1.5 billion under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement to support homelessness services, and, under that agreement, $125 million is set aside for homelessness services in 2019-20.

The states are matching this funding and have a focus on women and children affected by family and domestic violence, and of course the Prime Minister earlier this year announced that hundreds more women and children escaping domestic and family violence would have a safe place to sleep, with a $78 million investment by the Morrison government, forming part of our $328 million investment to support the fourth action plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, and I would certainly hope that there is acknowledgement on all sides of the House of the bipartisan commitment to the importance of government action in this area, under the fourth action plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

Of course, as part of that, one of the very practical ways in which we are responding to the challenge of homelessness is $60 million in grants to eligible organisations to provide new or expanded emergency accommodation facilities as well as $18 million to support the Keeping Women Safe in their Home initiative. So we have a strong program and commitment when it comes to homelessness—$1.5 billion, which is, of course, funding which can be provided thanks to our strong management of the economy.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs is warned.