Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Housing affordability

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (15:12): My question is for the Deputy Premier. On any given night 30,000 Victorians are sleeping rough. They are in cars, they are in tents or they are on the street. The longer we wait, more people will join them. We have had assurances from Labor that they are finally considering rent reforms, but after months of inaction we are yet to hear of any solid proposal to protect renters from homelessness. Renters are barely hanging on, and they are wondering how long this Labor government will just stand by while they face yet another unmanageable rent increase. Deputy Premier, when will this government introduce a freeze on rent increases in Victoria?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (15:13): I thank the member for Richmond for her question, which is an issue that has been canvassed in this place and indeed publicly on a number of occasions. As the government has indicated, we are working – a number of ministers, and indeed as the caucus we are working together – on looking at a range of measures that need to be taken across a range of different portfolios that affect the availability and affordability of housing in this state. There is no more pressing issue in Victoria right now than the inability of people to be able to afford a home in the suburb they want to live in, and particularly for the most vulnerable in our community, having a safe and secure roof over their head is critically important.

That is why we have been really clear that through this process – and the time line may not suit the political aspirations of the member for Richmond in terms of when we will make certain announcements – we are working through these matters through careful policy process, because these are big and important issues. We have said clearly that in the coming months we will have more to say about these reforms that we need to deliver to provide for an increased supply of housing but also to make sure that we can help people get into a home at all levels of the housing affordability spectrum.

In terms of the member for Richmond’s comments about people right now facing housing vulnerability – pass the bill in the Senate. There is a bill in the Senate that would unlock billions and billions of dollars for this very issue right across the country. Now, I think we have become used to expecting the Liberal Party and the National Party to block important social policy reforms, but the Greens political party – for goodness sake. We have got the Greens political party standing in the way of billions and billions of dollars being unlocked for this very issue that the member for Richmond claims to care about.

Ellen Sandell: On a point of order, Speaker, the Deputy Premier knows that question time is not a time to attack other members of this place. If the bill actually unlocked billions, we would pass it, but it does not – it makes the matter worse.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Deputy Premier to come back to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was going to conclude on that point. We have seen where there is an opportunity to work with the federal Labor government. We had an investment a few weeks ago of $500 million into the already busy housing minister’s even busier housing program. We would love to see more of those funds come to Victoria for these very issues if we could see the Senate pass this important piece of legislation that would provide the opportunity for more homes to be built for more Victorians.

Gabrielle de Vietri: On a point of order, Speaker, the question was about Victorian Labor and the state government’s responsibility to look after renters.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (15:16): While I appreciate the Deputy Premier’s considered response, the response also went to the supply of properties, and right now we do know that there are over 80,000 homes on the short-stay market. Another rumoured reform has been a toothless tax of a proposed $5 per booking on holidaymakers. That will do absolutely nothing to make more homes available to renters, and we know that because Airbnb has wholeheartedly embraced the proposed tax with open arms. Will the government introduce meaningful reforms that will free up homes for renters and stop investors from hoarding properties by limiting the number of days a home can be on the short-stay market to 90 days a year?

The SPEAKER: Member for Richmond, your question was not quite the same as your main question. If you can relate it back to the first question you asked, the main question, which was around rents, I will allow the question.

Gabrielle DE VIETRI: My question was around the availability and affordability of renting and the proposed reforms that have been flagged by the Labor government, which include both a cap on rent increases and a reform of short-stay accommodation, including a tax, so those things go to the supply and the affordability of rental properties.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. Member for Richmond, I will allow the question on this occasion, but I think all members need to note that main questions and supplementary questions have to have the same theme. The Deputy Premier will respond to the supplementary question.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (15:19): As I indicated in my answer to the substantive question – I will not repeat what I referenced other than to say the government is working on a package of reforms that go to the very question of affordability and availability of housing supply. But I will also point out to the member for Richmond that the Andrews Labor government has already taken significant steps to reform support for renters and indeed has already introduced more than 130 rental reforms that are around strengthening renters’ rights to protect vulnerable renters. To address rent increases, we have already reduced the number of times rent can be increased to once every 12 months, so we have not been sitting on our hands. There has been already significant reform in this place. We plan to do more, and we would love to do even more should we see that very important bill that is sitting in the Senate, which would provide more funds for more homes for more Victorians.