Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I think the senator's question is misplaced, in the sense that, like so many in the media, she looks at one budget and assumes that, if there is not a new measure there, you are not doing anything. That is completely wrong. The senator well knows that the Labor government's investment in housing has been enormous. Since 2007, we have invested $20 billion in a broad-ranging and innovative affordable housing agenda. Just because there are not new measures in a particular area it does not mean there is not enormous investment and a reform program occurring in that area. I have had that issue in my own area of higher education, with us increasing the indexation rate and continuing record funding to universities. That does not warrant much mention because it does not show up as a new item. The media want to know what is new. What is the case is that our investment in housing continues. We are assisting homebuyers, renters and people who need social housing, and tackling homelessness.

I think it is well recognised in the community that this government has done more than any previous government to try and deal with the huge shortage of housing in this country, particularly for those people on low incomes. We have had a serious problem with homelessness, and this government has sought to tackle that head-on. As I say, we have made enormous investments in a range of schemes—the National Rental Affordability Scheme, the National Partnership Agreement on Social Housing. All those sorts of schemes have received huge investment and are starting to deliver good results with the number of homes and the number of people supported. So it is quite wrong to claim that that sort of major drive for investment in housing is not occurring.