Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, my community of North Sydney believe that our current housing and homelessness crisis is exacerbated by a lack of long-term leadership, thinking, commitment and ambition. They also believe that access to housing is a fundamental human right. Prime Minister, do you believe that that access to housing is a fundamental human right? And if 'yes', why won't you protect that right by legislating a national housing and homelessness plan?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for North Sydney for her question. I certainly believe that access to housing is a fundamental right in an advanced society such as ours. I know that the security which having a roof over your head gives you is a precondition for being able to seek employment, for being able to enjoy the opportunities that are there by getting an education at university or TAFE or school and for looking after your family, and it's that certainty that is provided. As someone who grew up in public housing, that certainty that it provided for me and my mum was really important in being able to actually think ahead and to have that security. So we certainly believe that.

And that's why we've undertaken, under my government, the most significant housing reforms in a generation. Our comprehensive Homes for Australia Plan is backed by $32 billion of new housing initiatives. On top of that is the support that we have with the second consecutive increase in rental assistance but also our plan for increased social and community housing funding through the Social Housing Accelerator, through the housing Australia future plan and through the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement with the states and territories. Our additional funding for housing for women and children escaping domestic violence has been a part of the National Cabinet debate that we had recently. We know that this is a big challenge, and the key to that is supply. We need to increase supply, which is why we've also provided an incentive for state and territory governments on planning, to make sure that increased housing with increased density, where appropriate, can occur. We can't continue to just think that this will solve itself. We do need strong government action.

In addition to that, we have our build-to-rent incentives, which are the subject of some debate in the parliament at the moment, as is our Help to Buy scheme, which is currently before the Senate. We want to help people to homeownership, and a shared-equity scheme is something that's worked very effectively for states and territories. A national scheme will be even more effective, going forward.

So I will certainly continue to work, I'm sure, with the member for North Sydney in whatever capacity as we go forward and to work with people across the parliament to try and achieve these objectives. I call upon the Senate this week to take the opportunity to vote for housing initiatives in the Senate. (Time expired)