Wednesday, 19 November 2025

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning) (14:19): The Allan Labor government is saying yes to more homes and more affordable homes for Victorians. We are opening doors for families, young people and essential workers who want to live in well-connected suburbs close to transport, services and jobs. We are making it simpler and faster to build all kinds of homes in all kinds of places, including in Kew, and as part of this we have introduced into this Parliament a planning bill to reform our planning system. Yesterday the new Leader of the Opposition identified housing affordability as one of her key priorities, and I genuinely welcome this. Housing is one of the most important issues facing our state. Her own deputy in the other place Mr Evan Mulholland put it clearly in his inaugural speech:

… it is immoral that large sections of our inner cities, flush with good transport, schools, health care … remain almost flat, with obsolete overlays denying young Victorians a chance to buy their first home where they want to live.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the Attorney-General. The member for Bulleen will leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Bulleen withdrew from chamber.

Sonya KILKENNY: I note that the Liberal Party is opposing the government’s planning amendment bill, a bill that directly addresses housing affordability, modernises our planning system, boosts housing supply and will unlock more than $900 million in economic value each year. Why? The position is not just inconsistent, it is an absolute barrier to the homes Victorians need. If the opposition are serious about housing, as they say they are, then they should match their words with action, and I call on the current Leader of the Liberal Party to support the planning amendment bill and join us in delivering more homes for Victorians, more affordability and more opportunity for the next generation.