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

Right now homeless people across Tasmania and Australia are doing it tough. It really is tough for them. They're sleeping rough of a night, and these summer nights are not going to last for much longer. Too many Tasmanians are couch-surfing, sleeping in their cars, relying on friends and family, or sleeping in tents with their kids. And then there are those who don't have any friends or family that they can rely on. Nearly 10,000 women and children are seeking safety at crisis accommodation shelters across the country, and they are often being turned away because of the lack of supply after nine long years of the Liberal-National governments.

Every single person sleeping rough has a personal story to tell. I urge people to think about that when they walk past homeless people or see the tents in the park, because it could happen to any of us. Too many Australians are living pay cheque to pay cheque. They're one pay cheque away from not meeting their mortgage repayments or their weekly bills.

We know that a disproportionate number of women are now homeless. Women often retire without a reasonable superannuation balance because they have been caregivers, they have been raising their children or, in many cases, they have been caring for their elderly parents. Many women feel unable to leave an unsafe relationship because they do not have the right financial circumstances. The Albanese Labor government is doing everything in its power to ease the cost of living, drive down prices and implement a housing strategy that is fit for purpose and allows more Australians to be safe and warm at night, either in their own dwelling or one provided by social and affordable housing.

Homelessness and a lack of housing have been issues for many, many years, and those opposite and the Liberal state government in Tasmania have done nothing but break promises. They've neglected to ensure that there is affordable housing for people who are in urgent need. That's why the Albanese Labor government will establish the Housing Australia Future Fund to build 30,000 social and affordable homes across the country. What we need is for those opposite to support that legislation. The housing will include 4,000 homes for women and children fleeing violence, and older women on low incomes who are at risk of becoming homeless. I'm glad to say that this has started in my home state of Tasmania.

As a government, we are also going to invest in 500 new community sector workers across Australia to support people who are facing violence. The extra hands will be instrumental in getting more women and children out of dangerous environments. People need support and they need to be able to talk to people they can relate to. Further to this, to support women in northern Tasmania the Albanese Labor government is providing $2.25 million for additional crisis accommodation. We expect that this could help as many as 202 women and children to find refuge. We will also fund 12 workers to help 960 women and support them during the hardest times of their lives. I look forward to working with my Tasmanian colleague Minister Julie Collins to deliver on this much-needed funding. Survivors of violence are strong and they deserve to have the help they need to rebuild their lives. Labor will tackle the scourge of domestic violence with ambition and urgency.

I look forward to the day when we see more social housing built across Australia to address the very real homelessness epidemic across this country and in my home state. It is devastating to think that the Liberal state government and the former Liberal-National federal government did nothing in terms of providing that support for women and children who are desperate to leave a domestic violence situation. They're asked, 'Why don't you leave?' The reason is that they have nowhere to go. What we should be asking them is, 'What can we do to assist you to rebuild your life and live in safe, affordable housing so you can go on to reach your full potential and support your children?' Older women in this country are the fastest-growing cohort of homeless people in this country. It's shameful. (Time expired)