QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Ms O'NEIL (Hotham—Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Cities) (14:26): I really appreciate this question from the member for Moncrieff, because it's a broad one that allows me to go a little bit back to basics with the parliament about what's happened to housing in our country. We have got a housing crisis in our country that has been building for 40 years.

This is a crisis today which is hurting literally millions of people who live in our country. We see that for renters, who are living with housing insecurity and rising rents in a way that should never be happening in a country like Australia. We see it for young people, who are desperate to get into their own home and who are doing all the right things in saving and working hard, yet watching that opportunity go further and further away from them.

And, if we want to get to the absolutely worst aspect of this crisis, we see it everywhere in our streets of suburbs, where a rising number of Australians are literally without a roof over their head. Now, I have a pretty traditional view. We got into this parliament to solve the big problems facing our country, and there is not a single person behind me who looks at that situation and says, 'We're not going to do anything about that.' Speaker, I say this really clearly to you.

This is a situation hurting millions of people. Those opposite are the only people in the country that cannot see we've got a broken housing market in this nation. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Parkes and the member for Page will cease interjecting.

Ms O'NEIL: I've talked to the parliament about some of the examples previously. We've had 400 per cent house price growth in this country in the last 25 years. Those opposite don't want to do anything about that.

They just want to let that continue while we watch aspiration and ambition fade away for younger generations of Australians. We have got polling which shows us that 81 per cent of Gen Z— The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will pause.

The manager, on a point of order? Mr Tehan: The question was a little bit broad, but it was focused on rents, and we haven't heard rents mentioned once—not once. And I think it does— A government member interjecting— Mr Tehan: No, I was being helpful by saying it was a little bit broad.

But she can't mention the word 'rents', and it was about rents, because rents are going up. The SPEAKER: The manager can be helpful by resuming his seat. Thank you.

We don't need a lot of commentary with points of order, as the manager knows, but he's made his point. The Leader of the House on the point of order. Mr Burke: I'm not sure how much more I can add than what the manager gave up himself, but the first half of the question made everything from yesterday's question relevant by referring to yesterday's question.

So that, of itself, completely broadens this out. The SPEAKER: Yes. The question contained 'yesterday the minister said', so that's going to be reflected in her answer.

Speaker Wallace, on 24 November 2021, dealt with this issue, when the question was very open-ended; it talked about the Prime Minister's position. So we'll have to follow that example as well. I think everyone's been here long enough to realise that if you get a broad question there will be a fairly broad answer.

But so far the minister is being directly relevant regarding what she was asked yesterday. She was asked about rents in terms of that question. So the manager's— Mr Taylor interjecting— The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, when I'm trying to deal with an issue, it is not helpful for you to continually to be interjecting on me— Mr Taylor interjecting— The SPEAKER: as you're doing now.

Don't interject while I'm speaking, because I'm trying to assist, just as the manager was, the running of the House. Ms O'NEIL: Thank you so much, Speaker. I'd just say to those opposite that it helps, when you come to the dispatch box on questions like this, to have a leg to stand on.

And I just remind those opposite that they had nine years in office. They did not raise Commonwealth Rent Assistance once in the time they were in office. They didn't do anything about rental standards.

In fact, remember, they were so checked out of housing that for most of that nine years they didn't even have a Commonwealth housing minister. Mr Hogan interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Page!

Ms O'NEIL: And I say very directly to the renters of this country: they have never fought for you for a single day that I've been in this parliament. We're addressing challenges in our housing market to help renters across this country get the thing they want most of all, and that is a real chance at homeownership. Mr Hogan interjecting— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER: I'm not happy with the level of interjection, particularly from the member for Page, who was yelling during that answer to the minister.

You are now warned. If the member for Page interjects one more time, he will not remain here for question time and there will be consequences for his actions.