Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We hear the bleating from the corner, but they could actually do something about housing. They could actually achieve some outcomes for people who are homeless. For women and children who are fleeing domestic violence, they could actually do something about providing those desperately needed homes. But what do they do? They want to play politics, they want to join with the Right—the Nationals, the Liberals and the Pauline Hansons of the world—instead of ensuring that there are houses being built.

Honourable senators interjecting—

There are interjections from my Green colleague from Tasmania. It is just amazing that he can sit in this chamber knowing how many Tasmanians are homeless and the issues that can happen when you support this legislation. We have already invested an extra $2 billion into housing. The Jacqui Lambie Network could see the writing on the wall. They jumped on board. They're putting Tasmanians' interests ahead of their own interests, unlike the Greens, who, again, like to get into bed with the Liberals and do their dirty deeds instead of voting for legislation that is actually going to achieve something—that is actually going to achieve outcomes for people who are homeless and living on our streets. In every town and city across this nation there are more and more homeless people. It's not just about the homeless individuals; it is actually about the families who are raising their children living in tents in Tasmania in the middle of the winter. It's about those families who are living in cars in a very insecure environment. The very least that we should be able to do is provide housing for our most vulnerable people in this country.

We want to get on with the job. So I say to the Greens, I say to the Pauline Hanson, I say to the Nationals and I say to the Liberals: get out of the way and support legislation that is going to achieve the outcomes that are so desperately needed. We always know that there's more that can be done, but, instead of getting on board, getting this first tranche through, getting those 30,000 houses built across the country—then, if they still don't believe that enough has been done, we can build on that. But, as usual, the Greens act like little children: if they can't get what they want, they don't want to do it. They stamp their feet and say: 'If you're not going to play the game my way, we don't want to play at all. I'm going to take my bat and ball and go home.' Enough is enough. I am talking about real people that need our support.