Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. New dwelling construction is at its lowest level in over 10 years, builders are collapsing and housing investment is dropping on the government's watch, yet the government's own budget papers say 1.5 million people will come to Australia over the next five years. When will the minister finally admit that Labor has no plan to house its big Australia?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, those opposite, if they had been in government, would have higher immigration than what we currently have, and that is actually the position that they had previously. I would say to the member opposite, as he would know, he's actually stopping more housing on the ground today, with the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill in the Senate. He was absolutely stopping us having a debate and a vote on the Housing Australia Future Fund in the Senate just last sitting week.

Indeed, we've been getting on with delivering housing right across the country since we came to government. We have not wasted a day in trying to make that sure we get more homes on the ground, despite those opposite and the Greens senators standing in the way of our Housing Australia Future Fund, which will deliver 30,000 social and affordable rental homes in Australia in the first five years of the fund. Four thousand of those homes would be for women and children fleeing family violence. Seriously, those opposite come in here and talk about housing, and they are standing in the way of a core part of our agenda.

But, of course, it's not the only part of our agenda. Since we've come to office—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is far too much noise from the members for Wannon, Deakin and Hume while the minister speaking. They will remain silent for the remainder of her answer or the three of them will leave the chamber.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since we came to office we immediately unlocked up to $575 million from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, and indeed we already have homes being built across the country today because we unlocked that funding. In our first budget in October we announced the National Housing Accord, a commitment to build a further 20,000 affordable rentals with the states for key workers right across the country. With our expanded home guarantee, we've helped more than 50,000 Australians into homeownership since we came to office—50,000 in our first year. That includes 6,000 in regional Australia through the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee that we brought forward by three months. Of course, in the budget we announced Commonwealth rent assistance would get a 15 per cent increase, the largest increase in more than 30 years; our build-to-rent changes; our depreciation changes that will add more than 150,000 new dwellings—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The minister was asked about the budget papers, and she's referring to what the government has announced in the budget, but I'll hear from the member for Deakin.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is studiously avoiding 1½ million people and where they will live. That is relevant to this question and is relevant to the heart of the question.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member is on a warning. I specifically said that the minister was being relevant to the question. She doesn't have to answer every single part of the question. She has to, under standing orders, make sure she's relevant to the question. She's being directly relevant. If you do that again, you'll be asked to leave. The minister is relevant, and I ask her to return to her answer.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, in the budget we also announced a $67.5 million boost to homelessness after the terrible census figures about the increased number of Australians that were homeless. That was part of the additional $1.6 billion for our one-year extension of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement with the states and territories. Of course, as I have said, the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which is a critical part of our agenda, they continue to block in the Senate. They don't support it. The Greens senators don't support it. People come into this place and they want to talk about housing for Australians. They should be honest with their constituents that they are in the way of critical housing that Australians that need it most are relying on today. The sooner we get that fund through, the sooner we get the returns, the sooner we get more homes on the ground more quickly.