QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Ms O'NEIL (Hotham—Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Cities) (14:44): I thank the member for Brisbane for her question. Labor believes that every Australian deserves a safe and decent place to call home, and that's why we have a $47 billion housing agenda, which is delivering real change to the Australian people—260,000 Australians into a home of their own through the five per cent deposit scheme.

We're changing the tax system to make sure that the scales are tipped towards first home buyers. We're pulling every lever we have to build more homes for the country, more infrastructure—more tradies and less red tape. That includes work to streamline the National Construction Code after we paused changes following last year's Economic Reform Roundtable.

You've just heard the Prime Minister talk about the big day out from the shadow minister for housing and homelessness yesterday, and boy was it something—a real wild ride. In a speech one might euphemistically call wide ranging, Senator Bragg covered his views on communism, North Korea, state sponsored corruption and giving superannuation to cats and dogs. I'm not making this up.

But his big idea on housing, and the one that I actually really want Australians to hear and understand, is this: the Liberals' answer to housing affordability is substandard housing for Australians on low incomes. It shouldn't be controversial that Australians should be able to buy a home knowing that it's safe and decent for them and their families, that the walls of that home won't fill with mould, that the balcony won't leak or that the plumbing works.

These aren't luxuries. But when asked directly this morning whether some low-income Australians should accept substandard housing, Senator Bragg said, 'Yes, definitely'. He was asked whether homes needed any energy efficiency standard and his answer was that 'you've got to have a window in a room'.

The opposition's been asked, 'How should Australians cope with the freezing winter at home?' And the shadow treasurer had the answer for this one. Get this; he said, 'Put a jumper on.' There's something really familiar to me about the tone here. Remember when Joe Hockey told Australians that, if they couldn't afford to buy a home, they should get a good job that pays good money?

Now the coalition says that lower income Australians should settle for a substandard home. 'Just be happy with your window' seems to be the message. Well, old-fashioned snobbery is alive and well in the Liberal Party of Australia, and Labor rejects it completely. We have a really clear belief: whether you rent, whether you're buying your first home or whether you're wealthy or working class in this country, you deserve a home that is safe and decent and built to last, and that's what our government is delivering for you.