Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Housing

Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:21): My question is to the Premier. Premier, we all know that we are in a housing crisis. One-third of all Australians seeking support for homelessness services live right here in Victoria, and our priority applicants on the public housing waiting list are waiting over 17 months for a home. Yet in Victoria housing is still largely treated like a commodity or an investment rather than a basic human right, which we know that it is because the simple fact is all humans need a place to live. Yet the right to housing is not enshrined in Victoria’s human rights charter. Our charter has 27 other rights – equality, the right to religion, even the right to vote – but not the right to housing. Premier, will your government add housing as a right under our human rights charter here in Victoria?

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister for economic growth is warned.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:22): I thank the member for Melbourne for her question. The member for Melbourne started her question with a reference that we all know that Victoria, and indeed Australia, is in a housing crisis. Well, I wish we all did. I wish all members of the house and this Parliament did know that we need to take more action to get more homes built so more Victorians, particularly young Victorians, can have the opportunity to buy their first home close, perhaps, to where they grew up, close to family and loved ones and close to jobs, public transport services and other things they want to access to grow their future. I wish everyone in this Parliament did know that, because if they did we would not have seen the Liberal Party and the National Party and the Greens political party team up a couple of weeks ago in the Legislative Council and try and block the building of more homes in train and tram activity zones.

Ellen Sandell: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the Premier is clearly misleading the house. Please bring her back to the answer.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, member for Melbourne.

Jacinta ALLAN: Let me remind the member for Melbourne what her colleagues and the Liberal Party and the National Party did in the Legislative Council just a couple of weeks ago. They teamed up. And it is not the first time, Deputy Speaker; I know you know that in your community in Ashwood. Whether you are in Fitzroy or Collingwood, the Markham estate or Bills Street in Hawthorn – the good old member for Brighton over there – we know that this is a repeat pattern of behaviour.

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: He loves it when we mention the member for Brighton. It is a repeat pattern of behaviour. I go back to the member for Melbourne’s opening statement. If we do all know in this place that we have to do more to address the building of more homes, then why are the member for Melbourne and her colleagues getting in the way of exactly that task?

I say this to the proposition that is being put by the member for Melbourne: on this side of the house, this government – my government – is focused on action, not words on a piece of paper. We are focused on action, and that action is in building more homes in train and tram activity zones; having a 10-year pipeline of land so we can build more family homes in the outer suburbs; making sure that we are working with local government to have more land released; making sure that we can have the planning changes introduced that make Melbourne the townhouse capital of the nation; and making sure we are working at supporting regional workers to have accommodation close to where they work, which is great for businesses and great for those regional workers. They are the actions that I am focused on, not the proposition from the member for Melbourne.

Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:26): I have to say I am surprised to see our Premier refer to our Victorian human rights charter as ‘just words’. Several parliamentary inquiries in Victoria have recommended including the right to housing in the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, including the 2021 inquiry into homelessness and the 2023 parliamentary inquiry into the rental and housing affordability crisis. The Labor government responded by saying these recommendations are ‘under review’. Premier, what is the status of that review?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:26): What I am focused on is not reviewing past actions and past recommendations but taking action, making sure more Victorians have the dignity of a roof over their head. If the Greens political party wanted to join with us in supporting more Victorians to have the dignity of a roof over their head, they would support the redevelopment of the public housing towers.

Tim Read: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the Premier is halfway through her response and we have not gone near the question about the review.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will take it that is on relevance. The Premier was being relevant to the question asked. The Premier to continue without assistance.

Jacinta ALLAN: This is the difference between the Labor government and the Greens political movement: we take action. We get on and deliver infrastructure. We deliver housing for Victorians. We are not interested in grandstanding. We are not interested in running off to the courts to try and get housing blocked for those vulnerable Victorians who need it the most. That is what I say very clearly to the member for Melbourne. My focus is on action and getting more homes built for more Victorians.

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Frankston can leave for half an hour.

Member for Frankston withdrew from chamber.