Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing. How is the Albanese Labor government's $32 billion Homes for Australia Plan delivering for Australians, and what could threaten further supply?

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

COLLINS (—) (): I want to thank the wonderful member for Macarthur. He has been a long-time supporter of making sure we get more homes on the ground. He understands that Australia doesn't have enough homes, and we haven't had enough homes for a long time. He knows how important it is that we build more homes. Indeed, we need to build more homes more quickly in more parts of the country.

That's why, of course, we have our Homes for Australia Plan, and it's backed with tens of billions of dollars. We've committed now $32 billion in new housing initiatives since we came to office, including more than $6 billion in our most recent budget. There are homes already on the ground today and under construction because of the decisions we have taken as a government in places like Western Sydney, where the Prime Minister and the Treasurer and I were last week, where we were hearing about the progress and seeing the progress of more than 400 new homes in Westmead—new affordable rental homes for key workers. In Ulverstone in my home state of Tasmania—

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

The member for Fisher will cease interjecting.

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

I saw 48 new homes almost at completion, about to get people into them. These are real homes on the ground that I saw just in the last week. I met with people like Glenda in Riverwood in New South Wales and like Nanna Pam and Kevin and Leanne in Latrobe in their new homes, where they spoke to me about how important it is for them to have a safe, secure and affordable roof over their heads.

That's why we're delivering our $32 billion Homes for Australia Plan. It's why we're working with the housing sector, with the construction sector and, importantly, with the other tiers of government, particularly the states and territories. We need to get more homes on the ground more quickly, but it will take everybody with their shoulder to the wheel to meet our nation's ambitious housing target of 1.2 million homes from 1 July to the end of the decade. It is ambitious because it needs to be. We need to add to supply because supply is the answer to our housing challenges. We know that, and the experts know that, but apparently those opposite don't seem to know it. They voted against more homes when they voted against our Housing Australia Future Fund. They're voting against getting more people into homeownership with our Help to Buy shared-equity scheme. We hear they're not going to have a target. They didn't offer in their budget reply one new dollar for one new home. They have very little to offer except negativity.

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

The member for Fisher will cease interjecting.

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

They have of course rehashed their super-for-housing policy. It doesn't build one new home. All it does is push up prices, and it wrecks people's retirement. Those opposite should be getting on board with our Homes for Australia Plan. They should be supporting it because it will provide more help for homebuyers, more help for renters and more homes for Australians that need it most.