Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What utterly disgraceful scenes there were in the Senate yesterday with the Liberals and the Greens teaming up to deny 30,000 social and affordable homes for those in our community who need it most. It was politics above people at its worst. It was a betrayal of the people in our community on public waiting lists and the people in our community who are calling out for housing. Labor wants to build more houses and the Greens want to play student politics with people's lives.

The Housing Australia Future Fund has been backed by numerous stakeholders, including housing experts, community housing providers and housing ministers. They've backed it because it will make a real and substantial difference in people's lives. It may not suit the Greens' politics, but this isn't about the Greens—this is not about them. I'm extremely disappointed on behalf of the members of my community calling out for housing and calling for us in this chamber to do something to increase housing supply. Members of my community would expect this kind of politics—this rubbish—from the Liberal Party, but they didn't expect it from the Greens. But I will tell you one thing, Acting Deputy President Polley: this shameful effort from the Greens and Liberals to delay 30,000 desperately needed homes won't stop us from doing everything we can to get on with the job. On the weekend the Prime Minister announced $2 billion to deliver thousands of new homes across Australia, meaning more housing for more Australians in more parts of our country. We have an ambitious agenda to help those in our community who are desperately calling out for housing supply, desperately calling out for this chamber to do something. The Liberals couldn't give a toss, and the Greens need to grow up.