Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. Over 500,000 visas have been granted by the Albanese Labor government in the past year, with more than 1.6 million projected to be granted over five years. Does the minister agree that Labor's policy of granting 500,000 visas in just one year has contributed to the average weekly cost to rent a unit in Frankston rising from $350 when Labor came to government to $420 today?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

No. There is far too much noise. Order, members on my right! Order, the Minister for Home Affairs! It's not going to operate like that. Everyone knows the questions have to be heard in silence so that the minister can be heard in silence. It's a two-way street. Out of courtesy, the deputy leader will ask her question again, and there will be silence so I can hear the question—and hopefully everyone else can too.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. Over 500,000 visas have been granted by the Albanese Labor government in the past year, with more than 1.6 million projected to be granted over five years. Does the minister agree that Labor's policy of granting 500,000 visas in just one year has contributed to the average weekly cost to rent a unit in Frankston rising from $350 when Labor came to government to $420 today?

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Whoever is making noises like that is completely disrespectful. It will not happen. The minister for housing, homelessness and small business has the call.

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

I thank the member opposite for her question. As she would know, if we'd kept the migration settings as they were when they left office, we'd have more migrants today than there are in this country, because of course the opposition left a mess, and we're busy cleaning it up, whether it is in migration or in housing.

What we're doing in housing is adding to supply. We have committed to over $25 billion in new housing investments over the next decade. We understand that the answer to the housing issues in Australia today is supply, supply, supply.

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

The member for Barker is warned.

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

They're very noisy over there. Of course, they were very noisy opposing the Housing Australia Future Fund that will actually build homes for Australians who need them.

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

The member for Deakin is warned.

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

We know they are going to oppose our Help to Buy scheme which would get more Australians into homeownership. They claim they support homeownership, but they're voting against more homes for Australians. They're voting against getting more Australians into homeownership. Indeed, we've heard a lot of criticism from them about us actually having a plan and an aspiration to build 1.2 million homes over the next five years. We are working with the states and territories. We have $3.5 billion on the table to incentivise the states and territories to make the reforms that are necessary to get homes on the ground for Australians that need them.

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

Order! The minister will pause. The minister was asked about the cost of units and housing. She is answering why. She's being directly relevant. I will hear from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With respect, Mr Speaker, my point of order is on relevance. I don't believe the minister is being directly relevant. My question was about the price of rents in Frankston—what it was then and what it is now. It was about the difference in cost in rents in Frankston from then to now. I think it was quite specific.

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

On the point of order, I want to hear from the Leader of the House and then I want to talk about opinions, which ministers are being asked for.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I'm just raising as a point of order that, when you have just explained before someone takes a point of order that someone is clearly relevant, it seems that the point of order then becomes a simple contesting of the ruling you have just made rather than an actual point of order.

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

The Leader of the House makes a relevant point. The deputy leader is entitled to make a point of order on relevance, but a lot of leeway has been given so far. That leeway doesn't necessarily have to continue in that way. But, just so that everyone knows, we have had two questions now from the opposition regarding the opinions of ministers. That, as we saw with the first question, enables a very broad answer. If you ask for somebody's opinion, not a policy question and not necessarily about their responsibility, the minister is going to be very broad. So it is very difficult to make a point of order on relevance. I hope that's clear for everyone.

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

I doubt if the one minute left is going to be enough time for me to talk about all the things we're doing in housing. There's the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator. The money is with the states. We are announcing homes right across Australia from that money already. There will be 4,000 new social homes over the next few years in partnership with the states and territories.

Just last week, I was in Perth with the Prime Minister, the WA Premier and the housing minister of Western Australia, where we announced another 219 apartments for Australians that need them. This is the sort of thing that we can fund through the Housing Infrastructure Facility. We have already unlocked $575 million and are putting another $1 billion into this facility. We have already supported 4,937 new homes since we came to office through Housing Australia, and we look forward to doing more. As I said, the announcement in Perth was just one of many that we have made and will continue to make because we are getting homes off the ground, whether they be in Western Australia or Victoria. Of course, 2,500 homes were announced last time I was in Victoria. We know we need to add to supply right across the country and we are getting on with the job of providing more homes for all Australians that need them.