David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( ) ( ): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Housing, Senator Farrell. Minister, despite the government's action to date, Australia's housing crisis persists. Some two-thirds of Australians are currently experiencing housing stress. The government's Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills have stalled here in this chamber due to multiple factors, including a lack of policy ambition, the government not willing to actually negotiate and politics taking precedence over policy. This is despite a Guardian Essential poll finding that twice as many voters support parliament passing these bills as those supporting blocking them. But it appears work on Australia's first National Housing and Homelessness Plan, which the government doesn't plan to legislate, has also stalled. Minister, does the government still believe we need a 10-year national plan as part of addressing this crisis?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Pocock for his question and his genuine interest in solving the issues of housing and homelessness on his home turf of the ACT and across the country.

I don't accept the fundamental proposition of your question, Senator Pocock. This government is attempting to take action to genuinely resolve this issue. The reason that vital legislation to increase the stock of housing in this country has not passed this parliament, and therefore capable of starting the process of building more houses, is that the Greens, sitting to your left, and the coalition, sitting to your right, have combined to block that legislation.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, let's face it. The opposition, when they were in government, did nothing to attempt to solve this problem, and now, when this government is seeking to help resolve the problem, you're seeking to block it. You did nothing when you were in government. You're lined up now with the Greens—and we saw just a moment ago what the Greens are interested in. They're interested in cheap political points. We are not about cheap political points, Senator Pocock. We are an action government. We believe in solving the problems that we inherited from the former government, and that's exactly what we are going to do. But we need to pass that legislation, and we need to pass it now. (Time expired)

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

Senator Pocock, a first supplementary?

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Be that as it may, consultation on your plan began more than 12 months ago, but we still haven't even seen a draft. I'm interested in when the government will release a first draft of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Pocock for his first supplementary question. We are working with the states and territories as we speak. The new minister, Clare O'Neil, is working very hard to get movement on that project. But the truth of the matter, Senator Pocock, as I've seen in a whole lot of other areas in which legislation is required to fix the problems that we inherited from the former government, is that a proper plan takes time and, of course, can't be developed overnight. We are developing this plan—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two and a half years!

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

Senator Cash, it's not your question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not only are we an action government; we're a government that seeks to consult and make sure we don't make the sorts of mistakes that the previous government— (Time expired)

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

Senator Pocock, a second supplementary?

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. My understanding is that your plan won't be legislated, so I'm interested in why it's taking so long. I'm wondering if you think that your government is responding to the breadth and depth of the housing crisis with the urgency and level of policy ambition that Australians expect.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Pocock, for your second supplementary question. This government is doing absolutely everything it possibly can to seek to resolve this issue. I know it might be a joke to you, Senator Pocock, but it's $32 billion of spending—more spending in the last budget on housing and homelessness than in the entire period of the former government. That's how committed this government is to seeking to resolve that issue. I wish I could click my fingers and solve the problem overnight, Senator Pocock. I can't do that, but what we are doing is everything in our power to put legislation through this parliament—blocked by your colleagues on the left and the right of you. We will eventually get this legislation through. (Time expired)