Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Why is progress on housing policy such an important part of the government's broader economic plan, and how is it delivering more affordable homes after a wasted decade of inaction?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Higgins for her advocacy for renters in her community in particular and also for the question. Today we passed the biggest single investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade. I pay tribute to this Prime Minister and this housing minister. I thank the crossbenchers for their support as well.

Not everybody in this parliament voted for the Housing Australian Future Fund, and the Hansard will record forever that the Liberals and the Nationals voted for fewer homes, more homelessness and higher rent. The parliament did something really important today and we have every right to be really proud of it, because the progress that we made today means that more people will have roofs over their heads. The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund—

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

The Treasurer will pause. Resume your seat for a moment. I've warned you, Member for Deakin, about continual interjecting. I've given you a warning. Throughout this answer, you have been interjecting and giving commentary. You will leave the chamber under 94(a). If anyone else gets warned, use that as an example. You simply cannot interject once you have been warned. The Treasurer has the call.

The member for Deakin then left the chamber—

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund is an important part of our housing policy, but it is not the only part of our housing policy. It comes hand in hand with another $8 billion of investment over two budgets in social and affordable housing. It also comes with the biggest increase in Commonwealth rent assistance in three decades, which is an example of how we are taking some of the edge off the cost-of-living pressures in our economy without adding to inflation. It's an important part of our fight against inflation and it is also part of our broader economic plan. That plan and this government are working for Australia. In difficult times we are making welcome progress. Inflation is too high, but it's moderating. We are rolling out billions of dollars in cost-of-living help. We got the first surplus in 15 years, and the labour market is proving to be especially resilient. We saw that today: 64,900 jobs created in one month.

I want the House to remember these numbers. Since monthly records were kept, there have been only 18 times in our history that unemployment has had a '3' in front of it. Fifteen of those 18 times have been under this Prime Minister and this government—15 out of 18 times. That's the longest run of unemployment this low on record. This is a stunning outcome for the people of Australia and for our economy. It demonstrates something important, as well: this government and this country are capable of making progress together on the cost of living, on jobs and wages, on housing and, yes, on the Voice as well. In every respect, the contrast couldn't be clearer, with the wasted decade of economic mismanagement, division and disappointment, which defined the decade of the Liberals and Nationals in office.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! There is far too much noise, particularly from the members for Riverina, Barker and Hume. I'm just saying, 'Cease interjecting.' It's a pre-warning to a warning.