Clare O'Neil
Hotham · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“What a great question from the member for Bass. As we come to the end of question time for today, what a stark contrast this draws from the question that was just asked by those opposite—a hardworking local member who comes into this parliament week after week to advocate for her constituents, especially those who aspire to their own home…”
“I'm asked about alternatives, and the three right-wing parties of the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation have opposed every measure that our government has put in place to support first home buyers.”
“When they found out they were eligible for this program, Christy said they were over the moon. They've been able to get into their own home. Now, they're living much closer to town, their 10-year-old son no longer has a long bus ride to school, and he gets to ride his bike instead.”
“They want to scrap help to buy, which helps 10,000 people a year into their own home, and they want to double down on taxing every person in this country to subsidise investors to outbid first home owners in every auction in this country. As we come to the end of the budget sitting, this is becoming abundantly clear.”
“Today I want to pay special tribute to a pivotal and unique leader in my community, John Charles Saunders, who, tragically, passed away in March this year. John served our country in the 3rd Division Signals regiment and continued that service over many years as secretary of the Clayton RSL and region 2.”
“He brought with him that real specialness and that wisdom and humour that we get from that very unique Australian generation who saw challenges face this country, the likes of which my generation has never had to experience.”
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“We are helping Australians build the foundation on which they and their families will grow and build a great life in this beautiful country of ours—55,000 social and affordable homes that will change the lives of 55,000 Australians and their families.”
“If I go back to Monday last week alone, our government turned the sod on 373 homes. That may sound to the parliament like a familiar number—373. That is because that is the total number of homes that those opposite built in nine years governing our country. I'm not making this up. Last Monday, we turned the sod on the same number of homes that they built in almost a decade in what was a national disgrace. These homes join the 570,000 homes that have been built since we came to office, the 6,000 social and affordable homes we've already completed and the 24,000 homes we've got in planning or construction right now. I've shared a lot of numbers here, but let me bring it right back to the heart of the matter. Our government understands that housing is not just about bricks and mortar.”
“I want to share with the chamber some of the work of our government over the past week. On Monday last week, the member for Fenner and I turned the sod on 315 new homes we are building in Belconnen. The member for Swan turned the sod on 58 Housing Australia Future Fund homes in Riverdale. On Tuesday, the member for Blair announced 24 new social homes in North Ipswich in his electorate. On Wednesday, the member for Gilmore opened 15 new crisis homes in her community. On Thursday, the member for Barton joined the New South Wales Premier to announce 600 new social and affordable homes that are being funded through the Housing Australia Future Fund. On Friday, the member for Cunningham opened six new crisis homes in her electorate, and the member for Bendigo opened 73 new Housing Australia Future Fund homes in her electorate.”
“I thank the member for Makin for his question and for his fantastic advocacy for more housing in his community. Our country is confronting a housing challenge that's been building for 40 years, and this is placing a hugely unfair burden on Australians, on young families, on women and children who are fleeing family violence and particularly on that younger generation who are struggling to find a foothold in the housing market. That is why our government has built the boldest and most ambitious housing agenda that a Commonwealth government has had in this country since the postwar period—$45 billion. We are building more homes, we're getting renters a better deal and we're getting more Australians into homeownership. My job is about delivery, delivery, delivery.”
“When Australians are doing it tough, Labor does not turn its back. We build more housing; we protect the vulnerable, and we will not stop until every person in this country who deserves safe housing has got access to it.”
“The shadow Treasurer has been unusually open about his personal views on social housing, and I want to share those with the parliament. He has said, 'Our real objective should not be to build more social housing.' He went on to say that his view is that social housing 'suffocates the spirit of entrepreneurialism'. I know—I read that and I couldn't quite believe it. I don't think I have ever heard a more snobbish comment in my entire life. I stand next to a prime minister who is proof of what social housing can do. Social housing gave him and his family safety, security and a platform from which he went on to lead our country, and every person on our side of the chamber is damn proud of that. This is what those opposite don't understand: social housing doesn't suffocate ambition; it gives people a platform on which to grow.”
“We are building 55,000 social and affordable homes in every corner of our country. Every single one of those homes will change the life of an Australian and their family. It is self-evidently obvious that our country needs to be building more social housing, so you would think that our government's initiatives would have bipartisan support. Unfortunately, what we have seen from the coalition is that every single opportunity has been taken to delay and block the building of desperately needed housing. It is shameful, but maybe we shouldn't be surprised, because this is perfectly consistent with what we saw the coalition do during the wasted decade. Remember those nine years? For most of that period, they couldn't even be bothered having a housing minister, and, unbelievably, they built 373 homes over nine years. We're building 55,000.”
“I thank the member for Swan for her question. Our government is funding the build of 500 social and affordable homes in her electorate alone, and next week she is turning the sod on the beginning of construction of 170 of those homes. It's going to be a great day for Swan. We've got a national housing challenge that's been building for decades, and, for some Australians, the stakes here could not be higher. Whether we're thinking about pensioners who are at risk of homelessness, women and children who are fleeing family violence or young families who might be being pushed from unaffordable rental to unaffordable rental, housing for these people in our community is a matter of safety and it's a matter of security. That is why building social and affordable housing is right at the heart of our government's housing agenda.”
“We're going to do that 55,000 more times around the country. I'm asked about risks. We don't have to look too far because they sit opposite us. Every opportunity those opposite have had to vote against more social and affordable homes for our country, they have taken it. They want to scrap the Housing Australia Future Fund. They oppose the support that we're giving to people to get into their own home. Our focus is not on squabbling or leadership games. It's delivery, delivery, delivery of better housing opportunities for Australians.”
“She had recently taken on the primary care role for her ex-husband, who was very ill, and she was at a point where she just did not know where to go. She told us that she was seriously contemplating a future where she would be living in her car while caring for someone who is bound to a wheelchair. That was until she was able to make contact with a community housing provider, who got her into a Housing Australia Future Fund home, and her life has completely changed because of this. She talked about the feeling of deep relief that she feels to be in stable housing for the first time in many decades, and she talked to us about how she walked through the front door of her new home every day and felt for the first time, 'I'm home.' The life of this woman has been completely changed by housing that our government has built.”
“In my role, my second-favourite thing that I get to do is visit construction sites and see how our home-building program is progressing. But my absolute favourite thing that I get to do is speak to people who are in homes that our government has built. I met three wonderful older women who call this Redcliffe site home, Lyndal, Margot and Marika. These women were kind enough to sit down with us and tell us the story of how they got into precarious housing and the meaning it has had on their lives to be out of that situation. Marika told us about a period of her life when she was being pushed from rental to rental until she reached a period of sheer desperation. Her lease in private rental was coming to an end because her landlord wanted to lift her rent again.”
“I thank the member for Petrie for her question. We've got a really big housing challenge confronting our country, and one of the most important things that governments across the nation need to be doing right now is rebuilding our stock of social and affordable housing. In the member for Petrie's electorate, we're building 330 new social and affordable homes. That's 330 on the pathway to 55,000 homes that we will build across the country. At the heart of this program is the Housing Australia Future Fund. This is a generational investment in social and affordable housing that our government is so proud to be making. A few weeks ago I visited a completed Housing Australia Future Fund project in the member for Petrie's electorate with her and Senator Mulholland from the other place.”
“In fact, for the first time in Australian history, more than half of the first home buyers in the market are in the market with the support and the backing of their government. The five per cent deposit program is hugely popular with the people who desperately need that support. But what is really extraordinary is that those opposite oppose this support—”
“I thank the member for Dickson for her question. As Labor people, we share a really simple belief, and that is that homeownership should be available to ordinary Australians. Our government has now backed 1,700 people in the member for Dickson's electorate into their first home, and we're proud to have done it. The member for Dickson recently talked to me about Matthew, a local teacher she met at a street stall. He came over to thank her. He's a middle-income earner, and he and his family have been able to buy their first home under our five per cent deposit program. Now, Matthew is far from alone. He is one of 230,000 Australians right around this country who have got into homeownership with our government's backing. This is a massive number of people.”
“They'd have no idea about what's going on for Australian women because just look at what sits on the frontbench over here—15 people who are leading this party in the lower house, and two of them are Australian women. This is like a blast from the past. It looks less like a shadow cabinet and more like a historical re-enactment. In modern-day Australia, this is a national embarrassment, and I invite you to look behind me, where a diverse, unified group of people is standing up, representing our country properly and delivering for Australian women.”
“As a single mum who started out four years ago, this represents stability, security and the chance to build a future from a place that is truly ours.' Our Labor government is so proud to have supported this family into their own home. I'm asked about risk for women in housing, and the truth is that I am looking straight at them. If the chaotic coalition had won the last election, not only would they have scrapped most of our home-building programs but they would have scrapped our homeownership programs too. If they had their way, that single mum who we have helped into her own home would still be renting. The absolute truth of the matter is that those opposite have absolutely no idea of the experiences of what is going on for Australian women.”
“That $1.2 billion is 20 times the amount that those opposite spent in their entire nine years when they were sitting on the treasury benches. We've invested in a 50 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance. That's supporting 350,000 Australian households that are headed by older women. We're building 55,000 social and affordable homes and expanding pathways to homeownership. Last week I received an incredible email from a single mum from Brisbane who had just received the keys to her first home that was bought through our Help to Buy program. She said: 'It's hard to put into words what that moment meant to me and my little family.”
“I thank the member for Petrie for her question. We had an absolutely incredible visit to her community last week, where we sat down with three Australian women whose lives have been changed forever by our government's investments in giving them safe and affordable housing. It was an extraordinary conversation, Speaker, and I can promise you that there will be many more such women to come. We've got a housing challenge affecting our country that falls unfairly on Australian women. Australian women are less likely to own their own home. They are much more likely to be in need of crisis and social housing, and we are striving to meet that need. Our government is delivering a record $1.2 billion of investment in crisis housing. Most of this housing is going to be utilised by women and children who are fleeing family violence.”
“I don't care what your politics are; this is a massive number of people for our government to have assisted, and I want every single one of them to know that it is a Labor government that saw their aspiration and helped them realise it. I was asked about alternative approaches. Do you remember the terrible 'super for housing' policy that those opposite took to the last election? Because you're not going to believe this. If you've forgotten about super for housing, let me refresh your memory. This was a policy created by those opposite that would have smashed the retirement savings of younger generations around our country. It would have radically lifted house prices around the country and not built a single home.”
“I thank the member for Banks for this fantastic question, and I want to acknowledge the huge contribution that he is already making to the thinking going on in this parliament, even in just his first year in this chamber. We have housing challenges confronting our country that have been building for 40 years. Our government listens to the Australian people. That's why we have created the boldest and most ambitious housing agenda that a Commonwealth government has had since the postwar period. With $45 billion, we're building more homes, we're getting renters a better deal, and we're getting more Australians into homeownership. The honourable member asked me about homeownership. We have just ticked over helping 230,000 Australians into their first home.”
“These problems are serious enough, but one of the things that is so concerning to our government is the fact that this is not a burden being fairly shared by Australians. What we see is that, without question, it is younger Australians and it is Australians on low incomes who are bearing the brunt of this. Speaker, I know that you talk to a lot of young people around the country—hopefully, all of us as representatives are speaking to our younger constituents—and so you will hear them talk about the fact that, for so many of them, housing is the defining problem in their lives.”
“I am absolutely thrilled to get this question from the member for Brisbane. Just recently, we ticked over 2,000 of her constituents who have gotten into their first home because of her advocacy and our government's backing—2,000 people in her community and many more to come. We've got a housing challenge affecting our country that's been cooking for 40 years. For 40 years, we have not been building enough homes, and all of the pain that Australians are in today in relation to housing really comes back to that problem, whether it's house prices rising too quickly, rents going up too fast or that really visible effect that all of us see in our communities—that rising population of people who do not have a stable roof over their head.”
“We see the Nationals in the parliament this week scratching their heads about why their voters are deserting them in droves. Maybe it's because they did nothing to deliver for regional Australians when they had the levers of power. Speaker, do you know how many social and affordable homes those opposite built in regional and rural Australia? It was none. It's a party that says it stands up for the regions, but not a single home was built in regional Victoria, regional New South Wales or regional Western Australia. It is no wonder Australians are looking for alternatives. We're united, we're delivering and we're delivering right across the country.”
“In fact, round 3 of the Housing Australia Future Fund includes, for the first time, a dedicated regional stream to make sure we're servicing that constituency. We've got social and affordable homes being built in Tamworth, South Grafton, Shepparton, Armidale, Wangaratta and many more places. The member asked me about alternatives, and we have seen some shockers in the time that I've been in parliament. For nine long years, those opposite sat on the benches behind me and decided to do nothing about what many Australians believe is the most important issue in their lives. As you know, Speaker, they were so checked out of housing as an issue they couldn't even be bothered having a housing minister. Now, that had real consequences.”
“We're building more homes around the country, we're getting renters a better deal and we are getting more Australians into homeownership. Our government's five per cent deposit program is incredibly popular with that community of young people who are just trying to get extra support to get into a home of their own. We are now up to 220,000 Australians who have keys to their first home with the backing of the Albanese government Of those Australians, 73,000 have been people who live in the regions and in the bush. We've got $1.5 billion in housing infrastructure funding. It's going to roads, to sewerage, to water and to all those critical aspects that make housing possible. The vast majority of that funding has gone straight into the regions. We are building homes right around rural and regional Australia.”
“What a delight it is to get this fantastic question from the member for Gilmore. Partly because of her advocacy, 667 of her constituents have gotten into homeownership with the backing of the Albanese government—and there are many more to come. She's a brilliant representative. Australia's housing challenge is significant, and it is not a burden that falls on only our city Australians. We see significant housing challenges across the regions and in the bush, and after a decade of complete neglect of housing as an issue for the country, our government is delivering with a level of ambition that we have not seen by a Commonwealth government since the Second World War. It is a huge agenda: $45 billion targeted on three big things.”
“Then we had the 'make it worse' approach, where they brought to the last election a policy that would have seen the Australian government build fewer homes and make existing housing cost more—what a stupid idea. Now, we see the approach that they have at the moment, and the truth is that we have opposite us a set of opposition parties who are so divided, so dysfunctional, that they do not have a single sensible thing to say about housing, one of the most important issues facing our country. They are much too focused on coffees and gossip and psychodrama to focus on the Australian people. We have a different approach. Housing is a priority of our government, and we are delivering for the Australian people.”
“I'm asked about alternative approaches, and there are actually quite a few that we've seen. We're getting a bit of backchat here from the Leader of the Opposition. We saw the work, so called, that she did when she was sitting on the front benches behind me where, for nine years in this country, we had a government that was so checked out of housing for most of that time that they didn't even have a housing minister. Now our government is on the pathway to building 55,000 homes. Do you know how many homes they built while they were in office? In nine long years in this country, they built 373 homes for Australians. No wonder things are so diabolical. That was the 'do nothing' approach.”
“During the election campaign, our prime minister announced that we're going to build 100,000 homes just for first home buyers. We've been able to make this fantastic deal with the South Australian government. That deal will see us build 17,000 homes in South Australia; 7,000 of these homes will be reserved just for first home buyers—no competition from investors or from people who have had housing opportunities already. They're just for those people who are missing out now. The work with the South Australian government has been really straightforward on construction for one reason: we share a very simple belief with the Premier, Peter Malinauskas. That is that we believe ordinary Australians should get the chance to own their own home. Under our government, that is happening more often.”
“I'm absolutely thrilled to get this question from the member for Spence because, of course, on Saturday the Prime Minister and I were in the member for Spence's beautiful electorate in South Australia as we announced a landmark deal with the South Australian government under our 100,000 homes policy—2026 is going to be an absolutely massive year for housing. Our big focus is delivery, delivery, delivery. We have got a $45 billion agenda here, which will make a transformative change to housing opportunities in our country. We're building more homes, we're getting renters a better deal, and we're getting more Australians into homeownership. First home owners are unashamedly right at the centre of the focus that we have.”
“But she saw another child that had been separated from her parents, and she threw herself on a child she'd never seen before, and she protected her throughout the attack. That alone is an incredible act of heroism, but you can hear the audio online of the two talking to each other throughout the attack, and it's the most extraordinary audio. The little girl says to her, 'Can we hide?' And the way that Jessica is able to comfort this child she has never met before in a moment of sheer terror is something I will never forget. Jessica was interviewed afterwards, and she says, 'I'm just a mum, and I just did what mums do.' Well, Jess, you are not just a mum. You are an Australian hero, and you and people like you have given our country hope in one of our darkest hours. We thank you, and we honour you today.”
“When I think about Bondi, I'm not just going to remember the horrible acts of violence and hatred that were perpetrated; I'm going to think about Boris and Sofia Gurman, who fought the attackers in the first moments, sacrificing their safety for others. I'm going to think about Ahmed al-Ahmed, who crept up on the gunman, wrestling the gun out of his hands, saving countless Australian lives. I am going to think of the image of Jackson Doolan running barefoot from Tamarama out to Bondi Beach to see what he could do to help. And I'll will think of Reuven Morrison, who fought the attacker with whatever he had. I will think especially of Jessica Rosen, who in the tumult of violence could not find her little three-year-old girl, who she had taken to Hanukkah.”
“I've seen a community confront the horrible pain of what is happening to them, not by trying to push it away or shield themselves from it but by living through it and feeling it together as a community, openly and honestly. And I've seen a community fill what is such a dark, dark space with love and light, singing together, praying together and choosing connection over fear. Bondi is a watershed moment for our country. It is a moment of darkness that can never be repeated, and it has also created so many moments of lightness and hope. I am speaking of the truly extraordinary and quintessentially Australian acts of bravery that we saw on that day.”
“We have kindergarten parents taking their children out of formal education because they don't feel that they can keep them safe. This is categorically and undeniably wrong. We need to tackle the causes of it, and I hope that we are able to do it together. I've been very privileged to be able to share in the grieving process that my community has been going through since December, and, honestly, I have learned so much that I didn't fully understand about Judaism before this attack. I have seen extraordinary things—a community faced with hatred and anger that came together immediately afterwards with so much love, so much resilience and an unbreakable sense of faith and family.”
“There were rides for children, there was delicious food for everyone to share and I can remember that this afternoon was marked by the squealing of delight of hundreds of children who had come to celebrate this special occasion for the community. So much has changed since that day. This year, no public event could be held in my community. Hanukkah was celebrated in a tiny community hall which was heavily patrolled by Australian Federal Police. This is not the promise of multiculturalism in our country being fulfilled. We live in a nation today where Jewish-Australian parents are asking their children to change out of school uniforms so they don't have to take public transport home with visible signs of their religion.”
“And it was an attack on all of us—on our national identity and the safety and security of every single person who lives in this country. Our local Jewish community have shown me and my family extraordinary warmth and kindness. I am lucky to have two beautiful Chabads in my electorate, the Chabad Carnegie and the Chabad Bentleigh, led by Rabbi Engel, Rabbi Raskin and Rabbi Shimon. Last year, my family got the opportunity to join with these communities to celebrate Hanukkah. It was the most beautiful afternoon. We gathered together in Packer Park in my community. It was a beautiful, warm Melbourne day.”
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to say something on behalf of the community that I am so proud to represent in this chamber. I represent one of the most multicultural parts of the most successful multicultural country in the world. My community is made up of 200,000 stories and journeys to Australia. Respect, tolerance and love are part of everyday life on the streets of Hotham. Within that melting pot we have a deeply cherished and deeply loved Jewish-Australian community, who I want to speak to today. On behalf of Hotham's 200,000 residents, and personally from myself and my family, I express the deepest sorrow for what happened on 14 December. This was an attack at Bondi Beach, one of the most iconic places in our entire country, but it was an attack on every Australian of Jewish descent.”
“Oakleigh primary has been a cornerstone of Oakleigh since 1875. Back then, visionary locals put this school in place as a country primary school, but, of course, Melbourne grew up around it. Oakleigh primary has really been at the centre of everything critical that's happened to my local community over 150 years. Of course, the Greek influence is there with the Protypo Greek School, led by Principal Maria Gindidis, which has been a really important part of keeping Greek language alive in my community. I want to say congratulations to Oakleigh Primary School. I love you guys so much. Well done on 150 years. Let's go for 150 more.”
“Earlier this month, we had a really important celebration in my local community: the 150th anniversary of Oakleigh Primary School. This is more than a number; it's a testament to generations of learning, growth and community spirit that have come out of this incredible educational institution in my electorate. I want to give my thanks and acknowledgement to Principal Ruth Biddle, who is a very visionary leader in education right across the south-east. Ruth's leadership and her belief in every student's potential make this school such a special place. I want to acknowledge all of the teachers and the staff and families who gathered in their hundreds—on what was unfortunately quite a rainy day—in this beautiful school to celebrate what it's done for the children of my electorate.”
“We are so impressed with you, Grace, and your beautiful talents in art, and we're very excited to share your Christmas card with the entire electorate. It was a close fought thing though. We had a few runners up this year. Amelie from Brandon Park Primary School, Wheelers Hill; Violet from St Andrew's Primary School in Clayton South and Isla from Oakleigh Primary School, your wonderful entries will also be featured on this year's Christmas card. To all of the students who took the time to take part in this, I really want to thank you. Can I let you and your families know that we've set up a little art gallery in my office through the Christmas period and, if you would like to see your artwork on display, then please come and visit my electorate office in Oakleigh.”
“I absolutely love Christmas, and one of my favourite traditions is our annual Christmas drawing competition in Hotham. Every year students from right across my electorate enter a competition for the cover of our annual Christmas card. I honestly believe I have the most talented and creative young people in the whole of the country living in my electorate, because you would not believe the entries that I get to be the judge of. Today I'm very excited to announce that our 2025 winner is Grace from Sacred Heart primary school in Oakleigh. Grace has made this incredibly beautiful Christmas drawing. She is only 10 years old, and we just cannot believe this. My staff and I keep looking at her beautiful drawing, just wondering where this brilliant talent comes from.”
“I thank the member for Cunningham for her question. We are so lucky to have her powerful voice representing regional Australia in our caucus, as are so many regional MPs behind me representing the Labor Party. We're in the middle of a housing crisis that's been cooking for 40 years. The answer is: we've got to build, build, build. But to build we first need to approve. For so many housing projects that we see around the country, it takes much longer to get approval to build a home than it does to actually build one. This is one of the things that our government is working to change. This is a really important day as we take a big step forward in reforming Australia's broken environmental laws. Australia's new environmental laws will reduce approval times for housing, in some cases from years down to weeks.”
“He is a warehouse worker from the regions who grew up in public housing in a single-parent family, and fighting for Australians like him is why my political party exists. We will continue to deliver housing support for Australians. But the Liberals are as hopelessly divided on housing as they are on every other major policy issue facing the country. They cannot decide whether they support or oppose supports for homeownership, and the coalition do not have a single sensible thing to say about what I believe to be the most important social and economic problem facing our country. Of course, it's unsurprising, given that for most of the time they were in government they didn't— (T ime expired)”
“But the five per cent deposit program has completely changed that for him. A few weeks ago, Dean and his wife bought their first home. They are so proud, and they are so relieved to have a place where they can set down roots and spend their hard earned dollars paying off their own mortgage and not someone else's. The member asked me about alternatives. I want Dean and his family and every one of the people who have bought a home with our five per cent deposit program to know that, if it were up to the coalition, they would not be homeowners right now. The Liberals have described our expansion of this scheme as 'bizarre and ridiculous' and said that this is a scheme which supports the families of billionaires. I want them to note that Dean is not the child of billionaires.”
“At the election we promised a vital reform—to allow any first home buyer in the country to get into the market with a five per cent deposit and our government's backing—and we delivered on that promise three months earlier than we said we would. Since the expansion of the five per cent deposit program, 16,500 Australians have bought their first home with our government's backing. I want to talk to you about Dean, who is one such person, who lives in the member for Whitlam's electorate. Dean works in a warehouse in the Southern Highlands. He has been renting for years, and he never thought that he'd be able to save up the 20 per cent deposit that was necessary. He's had caring responsibilities for his disabled mother and he just was not able to get the money together.”
“I thank the member for Whitlam for her question. She is such a fighter for first home buyers in her community. Our government has now been able to help more than 1,400 of her constituents get into homeownership, with many more to come. The long-term solution to Australia's 40-year-old housing crisis is we've got to build, build, build. That's what the majority of our government's historic $43 billion housing package is focused on: building more homes for Australians. And our policies are having a real impact. Well over half a million homes have been built around Australia since we were elected to government, and housing approvals are up 15 per cent on where they were last year. But we recognise that Australians need help with housing right now, and that's what we're delivering.”
“This beautiful young family had been living in a share house with eight families in one home. They had been on the social housing waiting list for seven years and they had a one-month-old baby. Speaker, I can tell you that, having seen their pride and their happiness and the relief that they felt in being able to provide stable housing for their tiny little baby, I challenge any person here to meet that family and tell me that the Housing Australia Future Fund is not one of the most important things that our government is doing right now to build Australia's future. That one home has changed the life of an entire Australian family, and we're doing it 55,000 times around the country.”
“And I was really proud to announce on Sunday that the next round of the Housing Australia Future Fund will fund another 21,000 social and affordable homes. We are a government that delivers for Australians, and we do what we said we would do. We committed to Australians that we would build 55,000 social and affordable homes over five years and the announcement on the weekend clears the pathway for doing that. I was incredibly lucky on a day last week to visit the member for Maribyrnong's electorate where we met some of the new Housing Australia Future Fund tenants that have moved into her community. This is without question the best part of my job as the minister for housing for Australia. I met Tianjin and Christine and one-month-old baby Jacob, who recently moved into a new home in the member's electorate.”
“I want to thank the member for Maribyrnong for her question. She is one of our gun housing advocates and her advocacy is really paying off. Our government is building a whopping 929 homes in her electorate alone. I've talked to the parliament before about the fact that those opposite built 373 homes across the country in their nine years in office. We are building 2½ times that in her electorate alone and we're just getting started. We have a housing crisis affecting our country that has been a generation in the making and the answer is that we have to build, build, build. That is exactly what our government is doing through the Housing Australia Future Fund. Across our agenda, we have 5,000 social and affordable homes around the country complete. We have 25,000 homes that are in construction or planning.”
“We have changed that, and one of the main ways that we're engaging with states and territories is through something called the National Housing Accord. Instead of saying that our government wouldn't take any responsibility, the Prime Minister has stepped up. He's sat down with state and territory leaders across the country, as well as with local government and the private sector, and said, 'If we want to make a change here, we need to make a difference to how our housing system works.'”