Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

It's incorrect to say that there is only $10 billion in housing measures across Australia. We have a package of about 17 different policies, which I'm happy to go through, but they add up to over $20 billion worth of investment into housing. We have inherited a housing crisis coming into government. There was no focus on increasing supply under the former government. There was no interest from the Commonwealth government in social and affordable housing. Yes, we also recognise that, at the same time that we make all of those additional investments through programs like the National Housing Accord, the Social Housing Accelerator, the new homes bonus, the Housing Support Program, the work that we're doing with the states and territories on a national homelessness and housing agreement—whether it be through the investments in Housing Australia; whether it be through the increase in Commonwealth rent assistance, which we have provided; whether it's through the Help to Buy scheme, the home guarantee scheme or the extra money we've provided for homelessness funding; all of that is happening at the same time that we are making some additional investments in Northern Territory housing, recognising the particular circumstances that exist there, including poor housing quality, significant overcrowding that's happening in many communities and the fact that housing and providing suitable housing delivers additional benefits. For example, once people have housing, they are able to get work and support their families.

It is an important investment, and we're very pleased to be making that investment, finding room in the budget for that investment at the same time that we, without the support of those opposite in this chamber, are doing what we can across the board in housing more generally.