Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know how important it is to have a safe and affordable place to call home. I grew up in public housing. Labor governments gave my family a fair go. Public housing gave my migrant family a safe place to call home. But our housing agenda is not about me being a houso or the PM being a houso; it's about ensuring that, no matter where you come from—if you're in your 20s or 30s; if you're a teacher, a nurse, an early educator, an aged-care worker, an ambo or a police man or woman; or if you're a new migrant—you get a fair go and that you have access to affordable homes, the baseline which allows Australians to fulfil their potential. That is why the Labor government is committed to such an ambitious housing agenda.

Here are some facts. In the budget just past, policies which will be delivered are as follows. From 1 July we are significantly expanding the Home Guarantee Scheme eligibility so that friends, siblings and other family members will now be eligible to jointly apply in addition to couples and single applicants to help more Australians own their own home. We're also delivering support to renters with the largest increase to Commonwealth rent assistance in over 30 years and policies to improve the supply of rental homes. This will help over 1,000,000 Australians with the rising cost of rent. We've reached a national housing accord with a shared ambition to build one million new well-located homes. We are investing $350 million for 10,000 affordable rental homes, and we will work with the states to build on our commitment to deliver up to 20,000 new affordable homes in total. We've broadened the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, enabling up to $575 million to be invested in social and affordable rental homes. Also an additional $2 billion in financing will be available for social and affordable renting housing by increasing the guaranteed liabilities of Housing Australia. We're supporting build-to-rent accommodation. There's also expanded funding for homelessness services, with an additional $67.5 million for states and territories to tackle homelessness.

In addition to all these policies already being implemented, the government's $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund represents the most significant investment in social and affordable housing by a federal government in more than a decade. The legislation is awaiting passage in the other place. I call on senators to support the passage of the bill because the housing fund will support vulnerable and marginalised community groups, women and children fleeing domestic violence, veterans, older women on low incomes at risk of homelessness and Indigenous communities in remote areas. But of course the Liberals, led by Peter Dutton, oppose the fund and the Greens are planning to vote with the Liberals in the Senate to block it. This is not dissimilar to Greens councillors who have blocked housing measures in local governments across Australia.

I know this government and our investments in social and affordable homes for Australians will actually change lives for the better, like they did for me and like they did for the PM. We also understand that the issue of housing is compounded by cost-of-living pressures, including energy prices. That's why this government is providing $14.6 billion in the budget for cost-of-living relief to support Australians, including up to $3 billion in electricity bill relief to shield over five million households and one million small businesses from rising electricity prices. We are helping households manage costs through energy relief rebates of up to $500. Retail electricity price increases in 2023-24 are now expected to be around 25 per cent lower, and retail gas prices increases are now expected to be around 16 per cent lower due to the government's energy interventions.

Incredibly, the Liberal and National parties oppose this price relief. Despite opposition to energy relief for struggling Australians and small business, despite the opposition to more affordable rental homes and support for more Australians to own their own home—despite all this opposition and obstruction—the Albanese government continues to get on with the job of cleaning up the mess left by the former Liberal government and push through the political grandstanding of the Greens. Why? That's an important question. It's because we are committed to supporting more Australians with affordable homes that will give them that foundation to fulfil their potential in life and make their contribution. We are committed to supporting Australians by providing relief and the need for that relief from cost-of-living pressures which they're facing today. That's what this government is about. That's what we're committed to doing. Despite all the opposition from the crossbenches and the opposition, we are committed to making Australians' lives better.