Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

It is amazing that the inference of the question we have just heard was that having unemployment rates at 4.3 per cent instead of at 10.9 per cent, as they peaked under Labor, is somehow bad. In real terms I can say that, between when we came to office and June 2007, some 2,184,000 more people have a job. That is 2,184,000 more people who now have a job and can go out and buy a house. They have a job today that they did not have then. I know you in this place will understand this. We are talking about over 10 per cent unemployed. When we came to government there were 45 federal electorates where more than 10 per cent of the people did not have a job. Of course, now there are no federal electorates in which we have 10 per cent of people unemployed. We are very proud of that.

I have to say that the capacity to give people jobs is about not only our past record. Of course, in housing affordability we have a plan for the future. On 26 July 2007 the Australian government announced that we would be inviting expressions of interest from state and territory governments, from the non-government sector and from the private sector for their proposals and their ideas for new and innovative approaches to using the available funding for increasing housing supply. Several proposals have been put forward recently that seek to increase the supply of affordable residential land and housing stock. These are innovative processes that actually engage the organisations we know are going to deliver. We are very interested in examining the proposals as part of our increasing social housing supply request and information processes. The government have consistently called on the state and territory governments to manage the provision of a range of housing options available to Australians and specifically to increase the affordable land and housing available.

Despite almost $1 billion a year being invested with other organisations, principally the state and territory Labor parties, we have managed to go backwards in terms of housing. It is all right for people in this place to look at those who are buying house and at interest rates, but the information I get from those on this side is that people are also concerned about rental issues, and we need to have a comprehensive policy statement that deals with these issues across the board.

In spite of providing $1 billion a year for 10 years—that is, $9.6 billion over 10 years—we do not have a single extra house being provided. The only failure on the part of the government was in trusting state and territory Labor governments. That was our failure. I can tell you, Mr President, that this is not a government that continues to do the same thing while expecting a different outcome. That is why we are looking at alternative policies and engaging in alternative partnership arrangements, to ensure that those Australians who are buying their first homes or who are in the rental market are getting the very best deal they can.