Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the fabulous Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. The Master Builders Association has said:

Help to Buy is a sensible policy approach that looks at lifting housing affordability …

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck!

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

has said:

We certainly would like to see the bill passed. Shared equity programs have been some of the most successful and most effective housing policy interventions …

Noting the Albanese Labor government's Help to Buy plan would help 40,000 Australians into home ownership, what other measures is the government taking to help even more Australians into housing and homeownership?

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

I thank Senator Sterle for the question—and, indeed, for all of us on this side, who are really focused on making sure that we are doing everything we can to build more housing in this country and to ensure that more people can become homeowners in this country. We've seen, this week, the very unholy alliance, the very uncomfortable alliance, of those opposite, on that side of the chamber, and those down that end, holding hands—hugging each other at times, really.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

We've seen it—the proverbial hug; the dirty deals—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Gallagher—

Honourable senators interjecting—

I'm waiting for silence. Minister.

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

It was uncomfortable for all of us to watch, don't worry! It's a very unusual partnership—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Duniam!

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

that we've seen this week, and the partnership has been formed over a united view, from those at this end of the chamber, to oppose building more houses and getting more people into homeownership. That's exactly what it did.

The Help to Buy scheme is about ensuring that 40,000 people who've saved and worked hard are able, with a bit of help from the government, to get into homeownership. We can think of a lot of essential workers who have raised this with us over the years, and we've sought to respond to that with a program—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green!

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

that those over here don't want to be part of because they always object to everything that the government wants to do. And those down there pretend that they campaign in the interests of housing, and then come in here and vote against it. That's what we've seen this week.

This government is doing everything we can, across this board, on supply—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes!

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

working with states and territories, working with local government, working with private investors, working with the social and community housing sector, to make sure that we're doing everything we can, after a decade of neglect from those opposite.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! To all those senators who I've called more than once today, I would ask that you listen in respectful silence for the short time that we have left of question time. I should not have to repeatedly call your name. Senator Sterle, first supplementary?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government wants to make it easier for Australian renters to become Australian homeowners. Our comprehensive housing plan was designed to support Australians at all stages of the housing ladder. How is the government helping renters, including those who won't be able to transition to homeownership without Help to Buy?

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

Thanks very—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Gallagher, please resume your seat. Senator McKenzie, can you either listen in silence, or I invite you to leave the chamber. Minister Gallagher.

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

Thank you very much, President, and I thank Senator Sterle for the supplementary. Senator Sterle's question is right, because he is asking: how are we helping renters and now those who we would like to transition from renting into homeownership? But those who have opposed Help to Buy are pretending that they've kicked it off for two months. They are feeling so awkward about this unholy alliance that has been formed—the antihousing alliance in this chamber—that they're pretending their vote against the bill is actually a delay. Well, they don't need to be accountable, and I think those who have opposed Help to Buy need to be accountable and upfront about how they've behaved in this chamber this week. They haven't delayed the bill; they have voted against the bill. Every single time the vote has been put, they have voted against it. They don't want to be upfront and accountable for that, so they're pretending they're delaying the bill. But that bill has been stopped by this Senate this week, and for all those who would have benefited, you need to be accountable for that—

An honourable senator: Time!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister Gallagher. And I don't appreciate whoever it was that called out 'Time!' I'm managing the chamber. Senator Sterle, second supplementary?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has invested in boosting housing in every budget and surplus. Why have we had to make such significant investments in housing? What roadblocks has the government faced in its efforts to get more Australians into homeownership?

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

I thank Senator Sterle for that question again and for highlighting the fact that the housing shortage in this country did not happen overnight. It was created by a federal government that were so busy fighting amongst themselves over energy policy that they didn't actually even care about housing. They didn't have a housing minister. They didn't get together with housing ministers around the country—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Hughes, I'm going to ask you to listen in silence or invite you to leave the chamber, and, Senator Hume, perhaps you could join her. Minister, please continue.

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

They didn't care about housing then, and then they walk in here and demand to know what's been happening. Well, we've done everything we could in the two years that we've been making decisions about housing—everything we could. Whether it's renters, or those that need social and affordable housing, or those that need homelessness services, who you also didn't care about, or whether it's about supply or the Housing Australia Future Fund, we've done it against a tide of your opposition. That's what we've seen this week, and you need to be accountable for that, for a problem that you created that you won't be part of a solution to. (Time expired)

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on notice.