Gabriel Ng
Menzies · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Labor stands for equality of opportunity, and at the heart of equality of opportunity is accessible, universal health care. That's why, from 1 July, we'll deliver over $25 billion in additional funding for public hospitals over five years, including $5.8 billion in Victoria alone for places like Box Hill Hospital, which do so much to supp…”
“Since we cut the maximum cost of PBS medicines to $25—and $7.70 for concession card holders—members of our community have saved over $600,000 at the pharmacy counter. Some of these medicines would have cost patients tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.”
“Happy financial New Year Eve, as everyone says. Every single day, the Albanese Labor government is focused on making things better for hardworking Australians in my community, in Menzies, and right across the country.”
“From tomorrow, the $20,000 instant asset write-off becomes permanent, helping small businesses right across the country with their cash flow. From tomorrow, paid parental leave reaches a full 26 weeks—six months of support for new parents to be shared amongst them, as they see fit.”
“A couple of weeks ago, I joined the Bulleen-Templestowe Basketball Club at their Big Freeze at the B to raise funds to fight MND. Coaches, clubs, volunteers and, yes, even their local federal MP put their hands up for the ice bucket challenge.”
“The good news is that survival rates have dramatically improved, with over 80 per cent of children surviving with treatment. That progress is a direct result of research, funding and the dedication of clinicians and scientists.”
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“We've seen an alleged attempted white supremacist terror attack against Aboriginal people, where a bomb was thrown into a peaceful Invasion Day rally. We've seen Neo-Nazis attack Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne. And we've seen letters threatening violence sent to Lakemba Mosque. As I have said in this parliament before, prejudice comes in waves, and bullies will always target the most vulnerable. We've seen Muslim Australians targeted. We've seen Jewish Australians face hostility and fear. And, of course, we know that our First Nations people have carried the burden of discrimination for generations. Australia has always been shaped by migrants, people who bring their languages and traditions and faiths and experiences, and those experiences enrich our nation. Together, these stories have built the country that we share today.”
“I recently had a conversation with Rana at the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network, who shared a study showing that young people are experiencing increasing racism in schools at higher rates than past generations did. Now, I believe that children are born without prejudice. If you ever speak to a kindergartener or someone in primary school, they don't know the difference between the different races of friends. They just approach them as fellow human beings, as we all should. Prejudice is something that people are taught. In recent months we have seen too many instances of the ultimate horrific consequences of racism. We've seen the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack, Australia's worst terrorist attack, where 15 innocent members of the Jewish community lost their lives.”
“People from different cultural backgrounds have the opportunity to celebrate their cultures and to share their cultures with their workmates, with their classmates—and there is value in this. There is value in people being able to celebrate their cultures and pass them on to the wider community. But we must never forget that 21 March is the international day for the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. We can celebrate, but we must also guard against the worst consequences of racism. Sadly, we are in a period where racism and prejudice are growing, both in Australia and around the world—where prejudice, discrimination and hatred are increasingly directed at people because of who they are, how they look, where they come from and what they believe.”
“In response, the international community took a stand. The United Nations declared 21 March the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: a day to remember those who lost their lives and that renewed our commitment to building societies free from racism and hatred. The day stands as a stark reminder of the ultimate consequences of failing to be vigilant against racism, of perpetuating inherently racist systems, of not questioning those institutions that dehumanise people from backgrounds different from our own. Also, 21 March is Harmony Day, a day that was created by the Howard government. Harmony Week, which was created around it, spans 16 to 22 March. In our suburbs, Harmony Week is usually celebrated in our kindergartens and in our schools and in our workplaces.”
“I rise today to speak on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We must never forget that this day has its origins in one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century. On 21 March 1960, in the South African township of Sharpeville, thousands of people gathered to peacefully protest the apartheid pass laws that controlled and restricted the movement of black South Africans. Police opened fire on the crowd. Sixty-nine people were killed, and more than 180 were wounded. Many were shot in the back as they fled. The Sharpeville massacre rightly shocked the world, but it did not happen in isolation. It was the most egregious symptom of a system built upon racial discrimination and white supremacy—a system that did not recognise the inherent equality of all people, regardless of race.”
“All of them were faced with an impossible choice, and it is a moment of pride for our nation that we have offered protection to all of them and can provide protection to five of them. We stand with these women, and we stand with the people of Iran. Having just marked International Women's Day, we also recognise the extraordinary bravery of generations of Iranian women—from those who first protested against hijab laws on International Women's Day in 1979 to the Women, Life, Freedom movement and to the protests this year—women have always been at the forefront of resistance against the Islamic Republic in Iran. We stand with the Iranian people, and we stand with Iranian women.”
“I rise today proud that our government has granted humanitarian visas to five members of the Iranian women's soccer team. This was an issue that was raised with me by my local Iranian-Australian community and raised with me at an International Women's Day event I attended on Sunday organised by AusIran and Rana Dadpour. I'd like to acknowledge the work of Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke in navigating this difficult situation and achieving the incredible outcome of being able to tell five members of the Iranian women's soccer team that they are welcome to stay in Australia, that they are safe here and that they should feel at home here. Rightly are the Iranian women's soccer team called the Lionesses, for they have shown extraordinary courage in the face of repression.”
“The Man Box survey also reminds us of the reality that many perpetrators of abuse are also victims of abuse themselves. This groundbreaking research helps give us a road map to effective interventions to help break these cycles of intergenerational abuse and trauma. This is about creating a better future for both women and men. I will continue to take every opportunity I can to use my voice to call out gendered violence. I am proud to be part of this Labor government, which has invested more in tackling this violence than any other government in history. I am proud to be part of a government that is committed to ending family and domestic violence in a generation, and I am proud to support the work of the frontline services in my electorate of Menzies that are working to protect vulnerable people every single day.”
“Men need to show their children, their peers and their community what respectful relationships look like. This is not about demonising all men; it's about making sure we recognise the problem and support people to make better choices. I'd like to acknowledge the amazing work of Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon from Monash University and Matt Tyler, executive director of the Men's Project, at Jesuit Social Services. In November last year, I met with Kate and Matt and heard about their work on The Man Box and The Adolescent Man Box, which examine how adolescents perceive and enforce damaging and traditional stereotypes around masculinity. These man-box rules say that vulnerability is a negative thing and that to appear manly by putting others down and maintaining stereotypical gender roles is the only way to be a man.”
“The commissioner's Lived Experience Advisory Council will lead the development of an engagement framework and toolkit that will help inform best-practice approaches across the country. In addition, we are establishing a DFSVC youth advisory council to embed young voices in planning and to help make sure that voices are heard. Ending family violence in a generation will require the whole of society to be working together, and we must acknowledge that gender based violence is not just a women's issue; it is a men's issue. The vast majority of family and sexual violence is committed by men. It is vital that men speak up to condemn this violence, call out bad behaviour and encourage others to be better. Men need to call out disrespect and misogyny with their mates, with their colleagues at the pub and on the footy field.”
“This leads to less effective policy and programs that don't work for the people they are meant to serve. It leads to disempowerment and disenfranchisement. Regularly in Menzies my staff and I speak with victims-survivors who know firsthand how fragmented and difficult to navigate services can be. They know there is no quick fix and that policy solutions have unintended consequences that can be a matter of life and death. As a government, we believe we need to empower those affected by family violence to not just survive but thrive. This doesn't happen without centring their experience and understanding. That's why I'm so pleased that the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner has highlighted this as a key priority as we move forward in delivering the national plan.”
“Continuing our government's leadership, Minister Plibersek last year announced an inquiry into domestic, family and sexual violence related suicide, to be conducted by the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, of which I am privileged to be a member. This inquiry will be critical to progressing our understanding of the ways in which gender based violence impacts on victims-survivors and those around them. Briefings for the committee are underway, and public hearings have been scheduled. I look forward to doing my part in understanding this important work. The lived experience of victims-survivors must be the foundation of any reform. Too often, victims-survivors have had laws and policy made about them without their input or perspective.”
“Given this, it is on all of us to do our bit to demand better and bring about change. Today this government made an additional announcement to strengthen the frontline workforce to help combat this scourge. The Albanese Labor government has announced a 72 per cent funding boost to our frontline family, domestic and sexual violence workforce. Without this critical and specialised workforce, there is no way for us to effectively combat family violence and keep people safe. They are the people who are the most trusted and qualified to assist victims-survivors to navigate complicated and dangerous situations, which is why we will continue to support them through our commitment to deliver 500 additional frontline workers across Australia.”
“This is a unique program that focuses on recovery, and I'm grateful to Assistant Minister for Social Services Ged Kearney for visiting Doncare with me to hear about the fantastic work that they do. The reality is this problem is so endemic and widespread that it touches every community service in Menzies because of the numerous ways in which it affects people's daily lives. Health and disability services like Access Health and Community, healthAbility, the Family Action Network, Doncare, local neighbourhood houses and Box Hill Rotary are all working to keep families safe. I am proud to be part of a community that takes seriously our collective responsibility to call out and address this violence and support women and children to be safe. There is no place, suburb, community or city where gender based violence doesn't exist.”
“Within my electorate of Menzies, I see almost daily the significant impact that those choices have across our community. We have services from Doncaster to Blackburn, Box Hill and Warrandyte that dedicate themselves day in, day out to supporting people affected by family and sexual violence, frontline services like the dedicated team at Box Hill Orange Door and other specialist family violence services. Doncare in Doncaster, which are near my electorate office, provide a unique locally based model that delivers low-cost counselling, and their innovative dawn mentoring and volunteering program provides long-term support for women recovering from family violence through mentoring.”
“I have volunteered at community legal centres in the past, giving me an understanding of how vital they are in helping women obtain and enforce intervention orders, manage criminal proceedings and navigate the complex web of legal issues that arise when leaving a family violence situation. In my electorate, Eastern Community Legal Services provide this vital support day in, day out, helping people in Menzies and across Melbourne's east to deal with one of the most difficult times in their lives. We are investing in evidence based interventions that change the way we think about how we respond to those using violence and how we help victims-survivors to heal. Unfortunately, as the commissioner's report notes, we must do much more to end violence against women and children.”
“Too often, women cannot leave a family violence situation because they feel they must make a choice between an unsafe home for themselves and their children, and no home at all. This funding ensures this happens less of the time. We have made the leaving family violence payment permanent so that more people have access to financial support to escape violence. We have delivered 10 days of paid domestic violence leave. We are protecting more women from attempts to use government support to inflict financial abuse, and we have ensured that community legal centres are given the resources they need to support women and children.”
“Every eight days, a woman is killed by a man's use of violence, almost always a man she knows. This commissioner's 2025 annual report provided a timely update of the progress we've made through the leadership and collective efforts of governments, frontline services and communities, but it's also a reminder of how far we have to go. The Albanese Labor government's leadership on this issue has driven collective action across our country that is essential for success. Our government has matched our commitment to ending this epidemic within a generation by investing more than $4 billion since 2022, the most of any government in history. We have committed $1.2 billion for crisis and transitional housing.”
“I rise today to speak about the vital work that is occurring across our country to prevent and respond to the national crisis that is domestic, family and sexual violence. Late last year, Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin tabled her annual report in this parliament. This report is an important reminder that we must maintain our commitment to making sure every woman and child in our community is safe and our commitment to breaking the cycle of violence that shatters families, lives and communities. We know that still too many women and children are being killed or experiencing lifelong physical and psychological harm from people who should be loving and protecting them. Too many men are making the choice to use violence.”
“Thank you to Steven and Vincent for the tour of the facilities and for sharing a snag. It is clear that Manningham SES not only provides an invaluable service; it is also a fantastic community in itself. They put donations and contributions into making their facilities more modern and more comfortable for their volunteers, to reflect the appreciation they have for everything that those volunteers give to our community. If you live in Manningham, I encourage you to volunteer and to contribute to this essential service that helps our neighbours when they need it most.”
“Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Manningham SES unit as they celebrated the arrival of their new truck, an important addition to their fleet that will strengthen their capacity to respond to emergencies across our community. It was a proud moment for the unit and a reminder of the commitment that defines our local SES volunteers. When fires and floods affect Warrandyte and other parts of our community, when there are fallen branches or car accidents in Doncaster or Templestowe, it is the volunteers at the Manningham SES who stand ready at all hours to keep our community safe. They give up weekends, evenings and time with family to assist people at their most vulnerable. I extend my sincere thanks to every member of the Manningham SES unit for their dedication and resilience.”
“In addition, the government has announced mandatory service standards to improve member experiences alongside ongoing reforms for the retirement phase of superannuation. These measures are designed to ensure Australians receive clearer guidance and better support as they transition from accumulating savings to drawing a sustainable retirement income. Australia's superannuation system is the envy of the world. This bill builds on that success by delivering more support to low-income workers through an increased LISTO while better targeting concessions to large balances. Together, these reforms ensure superannuation continues to provide a stronger, fairer and more secure retirement for millions of Australians both today and into the future.”
“We are paying superannuation on government funded paid parental leave to help close the gender pay gap in retirement savings and improve economic security for women over the course of their working lives. From July this year, payday superannuation will require contributions to be paid at the same time as wages, which will reduce unpaid super and improve transparency for workers. We have also expanded the superannuation performance test from about 80 products to more than 800, which has increased accountability and helped Australians achieve better outcomes for their retirement savings. Financial reporting requirements for super funds have also been aligned with those applying to public companies, which has strengthened transparency and confidence in the system.”
“A disproportionate share of tax concessions flows to high-income earners, with approximately 38 per cent of earnings concessions going to the top 10 per cent of earners and 54 per cent going to the top 20 per cent. These reforms are consistent with the government's legislated objective of superannuation: to preserve savings and to deliver income for a dignified retirement, alongside government support, in an equitable and sustainable way. Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor government has delivered a comprehensive program of reform to strengthen superannuation. We have increased the superannuation guarantee, so it has finally reached 12 per cent, which has boosted retirement savings for millions of workers.”
“They don't want low- and middle-income workers to have the benefits of the LISTO. They don't govern for the many; they govern for the few, the vanishingly small few—not even the one per cent but the 0.5 per cent or the 0.1 per cent. It's the stage 3 tax cuts all over again. They wanted to flatten the tax system, with the largest benefit flowing to workers with the highest income. Our stage 3 tax cuts benefited more working Australians, who needed greater tax relief. Superannuation tax concessions currently cost the budget more than $60 billion annually. They're projected to exceed the cost of the age pension by the 2040s. This is not sustainable.”
“Earnings attributable to balances between $3 million and $10 million will be subject to a concessional headline rate of up to 30 per cent, while earnings on balances above $10 million will face a rate of up to 40 per cent. Both thresholds will be indexed to the consumer price index to maintain their real value over time and ensure consistency with broader superannuation policy. These changes are expected to affect fewer than 0.5 per cent of Australians with superannuation accounts in 2026-27, with the higher rate applying to balances above $10 million impacting fewer than 0.1 per cent of account holders. Those opposite talk about everyday Australians, but we know that they will always govern for the top end of town, for the elites. By voting against this bill, their true colours are on full display.”
“By strengthening LISTO, schedule 4 of the bill improves equity within the superannuation system and reinforces its core objective: to preserve savings to deliver income for a dignified retirement. Alongside these measures, schedules 1 to 3 of the bill, together with the accompanying imposition bill, introduce reform designed to make superannuation tax concessions fairer and more sustainable by better targeting generous tax breaks towards their intended purpose. The legislation maintains concessional treatments for all taxpayers while modestly reducing the concessions available to individuals with total superannuation balances exceeding $3 million. From the 2026-27 financial year, earnings on balances below $3 million will continue to be taxed at concessional rates of up to 15 per cent, unchanged from current arrangements.”
“This ensures that low-income workers continue to receive a fairer tax concession. In 2027-28, more than 770,000 additional Australians are expected to become eligible for LISTO as a result of the higher threshold. At the same time, approximately 490,000 current recipients will receive a higher annual payment due to the increase in the maximum offset. In total, around 3.1 million Australians will qualify for LISTO once the reforms are in place, with women projected to represent close to 60 per cent of beneficiaries. The workers who stand to benefit most include more than 100,000 sales assistants, over 50,000 administrative workers and more than 50,000 aged- and disability-care workers. Young Australians will also benefit significantly, particularly those under 30, who are in the early stages of building their retirement savings.”
“The maximum LISTO payment will increase to $810, reflecting the rise of the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent. This adjustment ensures that the offset continues to compensate eligible workers for the contributions tax paid on their superannuation, balancing the parity between low-income earners and those on higher incomes, who benefit the most from concessional tax treatment. In updating the maximum payment in line with the higher contribution rate, the reform preserves the integrity of the policy and strengthens retirement balances over time. Importantly, both the eligibility threshold and the maximum payment will automatically adjust alongside future changes to income thresholds from the superannuation guarantee rate, ensuring the policy remains viable over time.”
“With these reforms, from July next year the government will strengthen retirement outcomes for low-income Australians by increasing the maximum low income superannuation tax offset, or LISTO, by $310 and lifting the eligibility threshold from $37,000 to $45,000 from 1 July 2027. Workers earning between $28,000 and $45,000 will see the greatest impact, with eligible individuals receiving an average increase in LISTO payments of around $410 each year. Over the course of a working life, this additional support could mean delivering approximately $15,000 more in retirement savings, depending on income levels and contribution patterns. By making these changes, the government restores alignment and ensures that low-income workers continue to receive an appropriate offset in their compulsory superannuation contributions.”
“Forget the fact that super compounds and that you can only have a dignified retirement if you have a large enough superannuation balance from when you're young, which builds until when you're older. These kinds of measures will mean that people's superannuation balances aren't enough to sustain them in retirement. Now we have a shadow treasurer, the member for Goldstein, who has said he'd like to abolish compulsory superannuation. They're saying the quiet bits out loud. While those opposite will always seek to scrap or weaken our superannuation system, this government will always look to protect and strengthen it.”
“That's millions of dollars in retirement savings that have been forgone because of the coalition's ideological opposition to super. It's only under this government that super contributions have finally reached the promised rate. Like with Medicare, since the coalition know that the Australian people overwhelmingly support super, they try to hide that they'd love to abolish it. When they couldn't scrap it, they sought to undermine it at every opportunity—death by a thousand cuts. The coalition have seized on every chance to let people raid their super early. That happened during COVID, as emergency payments. One of the scarce bits of policy that they have to address the housing crisis is to let people raid their super.”
“This makes up part of the government's broader plan to help low-income workers earn more and keep more of what they earn. Second, the legislation reforms superannuation tax concessions so they are better targeted towards very large balances. These changes improve the sustainability of the system while maintaining strong incentives to save for retirement, ensuring superannuation remains equitable and effective for generations to come. The Liberal and National coalition have always hated superannuation. They opposed it when it was introduced in 1992. They opposed increasing the super rate. The Howard government froze super increases. The Rudd-Gillard Labor government legislated an increased to 12 per cent, as I've said, and that was originally scheduled to start in 2015. Then the Abbott coalition government deferred it by six years.”
“Superannuation plays a central role in providing dignity and security in retirement, and it is important that the system works for all Australians, not only those with large balances. Through this legislation we are making superannuation fairer from top to bottom, helping workers across the economy build a more secure retirement. It means disability and aged-care workers, retail and hospitality staff, early childhood educators and nurses, who work hard every day, will have the security that their retirement savings will support them later in life. The bill delivers two key reforms. First, it boosts the low-income superannuation tax offset, or LISTO, ensuring low-income earners receive a fairer tax concession on their super contributions.”
“Superannuation doesn't just provide for a dignified and safe retirement; it has also made available capital that can be invested into the market to grow Australian businesses and the Australian economy. It was the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments that strengthened superannuation by increasing the superannuation guarantee rate to 12 per cent, expanding coverage and improving fairness for low-income earners through measures such as the low-income super contribution. And now it is the Albanese Labor government that is legislating to make superannuation fairer and more sustainable. This bill is about strengthening Australia's superannuation system and ensuring it remains fair, sustainable and fit for the future.”
“I rise today to speak in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026. As the Australian people know, Labor is the party of superannuation. It was in 1992 under the Keating Labor government that we undertook one of the most significant social and economic reforms in modern Australian history: the introduction of compulsory employer superannuation contributions. It was the Hawke and Keating Labor governments that negotiated the original superannuation reforms through the accord, embedding retirement savings into the wages system and laying the foundation for a retirement system that is now the envy of the world.”
“Of course, we have made spending commitments, and those opposite have referred to some of those spending commitments. We stand by those because spending is about priorities. We've prioritised policies on health, education, housing, cost of living and tax cuts. These are policies that were endorsed by the Australian people at the last election. For that, we will be eternally grateful. We've been able to start implementing those policies and have seen an increase in the rates of Medicare bulk-billing. We'll prioritise these policies while better managing the budget, focusing on productivity and helping Australians with cost-of-living relief.”
“We've got peak gross debt down 45 per cent to 37 per cent, and we've done it all while keeping unemployment at historically low levels and while increasing wages. We've created jobs, and we've ensured that, during tough economic times, people have been able to keep their jobs. The new shadow treasurer recently did a bit of freelancing and said that we should question whether or not the Reserve Bank of Australia should have its dual mandate—to bring inflation down but also to have full employment. I think that's a case of saying the quiet bit out loud. We know that those opposite don't care about Australian jobs. We want to build an economy that works for people—not the other way around—and that means that we're making sure that people stay in or can get good, secure jobs with good conditions.”
“The senator also said that Chinese Australians who were participating in democratic process were 'Chinese spies'. We are the party of responsible economic management, the party of fiscal discipline and the party of surpluses and of paying down debt. In the last term, the Labor government delivered the biggest improvement in the budget in a single parliamentary term. The government delivered two surpluses, something the coalition weren't able to do for the nine years that they were last in government. We exercise fiscal discipline and we bank those savings to pay down debt. The budget is $233 billion better off than what it was when we inherited it. Debt in 2024-25 was $176 billion lower than that which was left to us, and that will mean $60 billion less in interest costs over the medium term.”
“And that's why we've been able to see that growth in the private sector and why growth has been better than expected. The coalition trashed their reputation for economic management when they were last in office, and they put the final nail in the coffin when they went to the last election promising higher taxes, bigger budget deficits and more tax. Now they've made the member for Hume, who was the architect of this plan, the Leader of the Opposition. They've also made Senator Jane Hume Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Senator Hume was the architect of their disastrous working-from-home policy, a policy that said to working Australians that working from home is not a legitimate way to balance work and family life and that sought to drag people back into the office.”
“The member for Fairfax, like so many of those opposite, misrepresents the governor's words in an attempt to reclaim credibility on economic management. He knows that the governor has stated very clearly on numerous occasions that the recent uptick in inflation is due to a higher than expected increase in private demand. The Liberal Party claim to be the party of the private sector and entrepreneurialism, and you would think that this would be something that they would celebrate, but, instead, it is something that they talk down or ignore. We have seen the fastest growth in the private sector, the fastest quarterly growth in almost a decade. We've supported private sector investment in areas like renewables and data centres, investing in those parts of the economy that will be the future industries for Australia.”
“I rise today to speak against the motion moved by the member for Fairfax, a motion that, as is typical of the opposition, cherrypicks figures and ignores the advice of independent experts to gaslight the Australian people. If those opposite were so worried about interest rates, they must have been ready to tear up their membership to their party at the last election, because, when they left government, inflation was at six per cent and higher. Since we came to government we've been able to bring inflation down to a number with a three in front of it. The member for Fairfax knows that the governor of the independent Reserve Bank of Australia did not talk about public spending as a driver of the recent uptick in inflation.”
“We are working with the states and territories and with industry to meet a national target of 1.2 million new homes. Around 500,000 homes have already been completed, since 2022, and tens of thousands more are in planning or construction. I am proud to be part of a government focused on practical action and real outcomes. For the people of Menzies, this work is about restoring confidence in secure housing and homeownership. It's about making sure that those remain achievable goals for Australians who work hard and contribute to their communities. I'm proud to be part of a government that understands the needs of Australians and takes actions to support them.”
“They fear their children will never be able to live close to them and that they won't be able to play a role in raising their grandchildren. Housing is a fundamental human need. Ensuring access to secure housing is a responsibility governments must take seriously. Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor government has advanced the most comprehensive housing agenda in decades. More than 220,000 Australians have entered homeownership through the five per cent deposit program nationwide—that is, more than 220,000 hardworking Australians have overcome a massive, life-changing hurdle when it comes to owning a home. Our broader housing agenda represents a $45 billion investment focused on building more homes, making purchasing easier and improving rental security.”
“We are also expanding long-term affordable rentals through our build-to-rent program, with 425 new homes in Menzies under construction or in planning. While we know there is still more work to do, this represents real progress. For the people of Menzies, it shows that we are serious about delivering on housing. Whenever I'm doorknocking or speaking with residents at local street stalls, housing is the issue young people raise most often. Many say they fear homeownership is permanently out of reach. I hear similar concerns from those in their 30s or 40s with families, including those in dual-income households, who still struggle to buy in well-located communities. I hear it from the parents of young people as well.”
“In my electorate, 420 people have purchased their first home with a deposit of five per cent or less through this program. We are also increasing the supply of social and affordable housing. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund, 102 homes in Box Hill are being delivered in the first funding round. In addition, new and refurbished social homes are being delivered across Manningham and Whitehorse local government areas through the social housing accelerator, providing support to some of those most in need, such as those fleeing domestic and family violence. Support is also being provided for renters. We have delivered consecutive increases in Commonwealth rent assistance, lifting maximum rates by almost 50 per cent since coming to government. In my electorate alone, 5,315 people have now received this support.”
“After nine long years of neglect and drift on housing policy by those opposite, our government is tackling the housing crisis. For most of those nine years the Liberal-National coalition did not have a housing policy. They did not even have a housing minister for most of the time they were in government. They only built 373 social and affordable homes while, across the country, waiting lists for those in most need of secure shelter ballooned. That is why the Albanese Labor government is acting. Our home guarantee scheme allows first home buyers to enter the market sooner by requiring only a five per cent deposit or, for single parents, a two per cent deposit. This reduces the time needed to save for a deposit from around a decade to just a couple of years. For the people of Menzies, this is already making a difference.”
“I rise today to speak about one of the most pressing issues facing people, especially younger people, in my electorate of Menzies: housing. Over the last 20 years, homeownership rates have declined across Australia, most sharply amongst young Australians. Amongst 30- to 34-year-olds, ownership fell from 57 per cent to 50 per cent between 2001 and 2021. Amongst 25- to 29-year-olds, it has dropped from 43 per cent to 36 per cent. We cannot continue on this trajectory. Homeownership sits at the heart of intergenerational inequality. In 2002 the median dwelling price was 4.4 times the median income. Today it is 8.9 times. There's no denying it is harder to buy a house and harder to save for a deposit. As co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Housing, I am committed to ensuring Australians have access to affordable, secure and quality homes.”
“I want to again thank Amad and the organising team from UMMA for being so open to our wider community and for their commitment to building understanding, building bridges and building social cohesion. House adjourned at 20:00”
“Members of the community were invited to ask any questions that they might have, and the religious leaders answered them with grace, with patience and with expertise. Members of our community came together in a genuine spirit of connection. I was accompanied by Vicki Ward, the member for Eltham, and Sonja Terpstra, a member for the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region. I want to thank Amad and the organising team for their warm welcome and leadership in hosting the day. This has been a difficult time for the Muslim community, and UMMA's dedication to holding this event demonstrates the truth that Islam is a religion of peace, compassion and moral integrity. In a time of increasing misinformation and polarisation, this openness and graciousness is exactly what we need to build deeper understanding and reinforce social cohesion.”