Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've heard quite a few Labor MPs this week talk about the perfect being the enemy of the good when it comes to the housing bill. But what's good about a housing plan that will see the housing crisis get worse? What's good about a plan that will see a yearly cut in housing funding? What's good about a plan that will see more people waiting for social housing, more people in need of affordable housing, more homeless and more people struggling with a massive housing crisis? What's good about a plan that will see $12 billion a year invested and handed over to wealthy property investors and only $500 million a year, capped, spent on housing? What's good about such a plan in the context of a government that wants to spend a quarter of a trillion dollars on the stage 3 tax cuts? It's a disgrace. I note the absolute gall of members in this place to suggest that they somehow should stand in the way of the very reasonable demands that the Greens have made—$5 billion invested in social and affordable housing.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you're watching at home, I'll describe it to you right now. There are a lot of people on Labor's side getting really passionate because they really want to stand in the way of investing $5 billion in social and affordable housing. They really want to stand in the way of giving renters real relief. They really want to stand in the way of giving $1 billion to First Nations housing. Listen to that passion. Do you know whose side they're on? They're on the side of millionaires and billionaires, who they're giving tax cuts to, and the Greens are on the side of the renters and people in desperate need of affordable housing. I'm sure that at the next election people will remember that. (Time expired)