Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week, Australians have been watching the Senate, and what they have seen is the Liberals and Nationals teaming up and voting with the Greens to block housing legislation. What they've seen is a Labor government that wants to build more housing. We've seen this happen before with the Housing Australia Future Fund legislation, which was blocked by those opposite and delayed by the Greens. But what this legislation is delivering right now is 490 affordable and social housing homes in Cairns. Our government is building 490 affordable and social housing homes in regional Queensland. It was announced today, and construction starts next week.

This is what the Labor government is doing. We want to build houses; they want to block them. These are the houses that the Liberal and National parties voted against. They voted against the Housing Australia Future Fund, which is now funding 490 houses in Cairns. That is affordable social housing for almost 800 low- and middle-income families that will be delivered in a regional town that is desperately needing housing. The rental vacancy rate in Cairns is one per cent.

We need this housing, and that's why the Albanese Labor government is delivering it. But those opposite, the Liberal National Party, Mr Peter Dutton and every single Queensland senator sitting over there, voted against each and every one of those families getting a home. Well, today they can see the difference, because in Cairns we're building homes; you are blocking them. (Time expired)

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

We'll move to question time.