Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently, Prime Minister Albanese appointed the Minister for Home Affairs to the Housing portfolio. Our country needs a housing minister who can deliver. If there's one thing that can be said about the former home affairs minister, it is that she knows how to deliver. She is after all the one who delivered record migration with nearly one million new migrants to this country in around two years. Having created excessive demand for housing by bringing in migrants by the 'truckloads'—her words—she is now tasked with boosting housing supply. If only we had enough tradies to build our homes. If only the people could even afford to build a home. If only our immigration policy under Minister O'Neil had prioritised more skilled tradesmen rather than yoga teachers.

The truth is the former home affairs minister failed miserably in that portfolio, and I think she's going to be even worse for housing. Dwelling approval rates are running 32 per cent below the government's target. The cash rate is at its highest point since 2011. Construction costs are up by 40 per cent since just 2020—if only all those yoga teachers were good with a hammer and a chisel!

Minister, rather than spending the next few years talking about houses that we all know are not going to materialise, save yourself some heartache and make a 30-second phone call. Call the poor bugger who is now the immigration minister and just tell the poor guy to slash the intake. Minister, while you're at it, make another phone call, this time to our good friend Treasurer Chalmers, and tell the Treasurer to stop spending money. How's that one? 'Stop spending money.' Then and only then, Minister, can we fix the housing crisis.