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

I don't accept that the Housing Australia Future Fund is useless. In fact, it is supporting a number of programs now, in conjunction with all of those other programs that I've just outlined, to increase the supply of social and affordable housing more generally and through other programs improve people's ability to get into the housing market to purchase their own home. So I don't accept that at all.

In terms of the commitment into the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory has the highest level of overcrowding in the country. The investment that we've announced is a 10-year commitment. It includes not only the construction of those houses to be built every year—270—but also to fund repairs and maintenance over time. I know, from the work that the Minister for Indigenous Australians is doing with the Minister for Housing and led by the Prime Minister in working with the Northern Territory government, that appropriate building materials and modern and good housing are fundamental to the success of this program.