ANDREW LEIGH, MEMBER FOR FENNER: Good afternoon, everyone. My name’s Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, and for the purposes of today, the Federal Member for Fenner. It’s a real delight to be here on Ngunnawal land with the Prime Minister and Housing Minister to inspect this great social and affordable housing development. We’re here in the suburb of Jacka, named after Albert Jacka, who won Australia’s first VC. But before he went off to fight in World War One, Albert Jacka was a forester. One of the things I wonder today is whether someone on a forester’s wage would be able to afford a home the way things were left to us under the Liberals. That’s why we’ve invested so strongly in housing, including right here in my electorate. It’s a real pleasure to see these apartments that will be available as social and affordable homes in less than a year from now. My pleasure now to hand over to the Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Andrew. I might make a couple of comments about other things first before I talk about housing. Firstly, Australia welcomes the agreement between the United States of America and Iran. We have called consistently for a de-escalation and for an end to this conflict. And we know that it’s been announced that there’ll be a signing of the agreement on Friday. We want this agreement to stick because it is in the interest of people in that region to end the military conflict, but it’s also in the interest of the entire world, because this is a conflict on the other side of the world that is having an impact here as it is in every single country. We know as well that if the war has ended and the ceasefire sticks, there’ll still be a long period because of what has occurred in the Strait of Hormuz. We need to remove the sea mines which have been planted there. We need to make sure as well that the ships that are fully laden are able to deliver their cargoes, that could be 30 days to their destination. Then an unloading, then travelling back before any new supplies or fuel is able to be loaded onto those ships. So, whilst we want to see the conflict end and we hope that that has occurred, we also want to be very conscious of the fact that that doesn’t mean that everything returns to normal in just a day or indeed a week or even a month. It will be at a minimum many months before things return to normal. But we do want to give a shout out as well to the efforts of Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and other mediating countries as well. We’ll continue to engage with our international partners to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
Secondly, on another event on the other side of the world, just a shout out to the Socceroos. An amazing game yesterday afternoon. I’m sure that people throughout Australia were watching and cheering on our team, that were underestimated before the game against Türkiye. But the goals by Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe were both extraordinary goals against, on the break, after what were extensive and effective defensive strategies put in place by the team and led of course by the coach. So, to Patrick Beach, who saved so many shots on goal, and to the entire team, they worked as a unit and to everyone there in Vancouver celebrating – including some members of the press gallery, it must be said, there on holidays – good on you. And it’s fantastic that so many Australians have travelled to North America to cheer on the Australian Socceroos team and we look forward to the games against the United States and Paraguay, and then to the next round where things are looking pretty hopeful that we’ll reach there as well.
Look, it’s fantastic to be here. We’re amidst this construction of 57 new social and affordable homes. This is a part of the Housing Australia Future Fund. This is a fund that was blocked by the No-alition of the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens and One Nation for a long period of time in the Senate. They said that it didn’t matter. Well, it does matter. These homes will be homes to Australians who need that increase in social housing. This will make an enormous difference. This is $50 million of Commonwealth expenditure on this site. It’s one of the sites where we’re building 55,000 public housing units and homes right around Australia. That compares with 373 homes, which is the total number of social housing dwellings that were built during the former government in their almost decade in office. What we have done is thrown everything at supply, whether it be public housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund, the private rentals through Build To Rent, or whether it be Help to Buy our shared equity scheme or other schemes as well, including the 5 per cent deposits that have helped 250,000 Australians buy their first home. All of these programs have been critical in increasing housing supply but also increasing access to housing.
But we need to do more, which is why we’ve changed some of the property arrangements to make sure that if you are someone who’s invested in negative gearing, you’ll continue to keep that investment. But if you’re a new person who wants to invest in negatively geared properties, then you’ll have to invest in new builds, building assets not just for yourself but assets for the nation as well. And that’s why these changes are so important so that young people who want to own their own home can go along to an auction and not have to compete unfairly with an investor who gets tax breaks that you simply don’t have access to going forward. These measures are really important. There’s nothing more important than having the security of a roof over your head. And that is primarily the purpose of housing, exactly that, to put a roof over the heads of Australian families and so that they can have the good life that we want every Australian to be entitled to. I’ll turn to Clare and then we’re happy to take questions.
CLARE O'NEIL, MINISTER FOR HOUSING: Thank you so much, boss. My favourite role as Housing Minister under our ambitious government is meeting tenants who will one day get to live in the homes that are being built around us. But my second favourite is absolutely days like today, where I get to come and inspect the amazing amount of work that is happening trying to build more affordable homes for Australians. As you know, our government has the boldest and most ambitious housing agenda that a Commonwealth government has had in our country for 70 years. We are tackling this problem from every possible angle. We are building more homes. We’re getting renters a deal, and we are getting many more Australians into home ownership.
Today we’re here to look at our homebuilding activities. The PM’s just mentioned there we’re on a path here to build 55,000 social and affordable homes right around the country. Remember that we are doing this effectively from a standing start. When we came to government in 2022, that was after a period of almost a decade where the Commonwealth barely built a home. 373 homes over nine years. We’re building 55,000 homes over five years. We’re really proud of these efforts. Now I said my favourite thing is meeting the tenants who will one day live in these homes and I want all of you to come back and look at this when it’s finished and meet the people whose lives will be changed by this housing. Every home we build changes the life of an Australian and their family.
JOURNALIST: What does the announcement of the peace deal mean when you’re thinking around whether or not we stand [INDISTINCT]?
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s be clear, there was an announcement made just in the last 24 hours there won’t be a deal signed until Friday. So, we’ll continue to monitor these issues. The E-7 has been really important for our friends in the United Arab Emirates, and we’ll continue to give appropriate consideration there. When it comes to fuel and issues, we’ll make an assessment over the coming period and we’ll make an appropriate announcement. We know that the end of the conflict doesn’t mean that we’re back to business as usual and we know that that has been really important in providing support for people. One of the things that my Government has been concerned about is what practical measures we can take on cost-of-living measures. One of those, of course, is tax cuts. We have tax cuts coming in on July 1, the tax cuts that were opposed by the Coalition and that they went to an election saying they’d reverse on. So, there are some measures coming in on July 1, but we’ll make an assessment over the coming days, which you’d expect us to do.
JOURNALIST: Just further on that PM, I mean, the fact that the war now [INDISTINCT] definite proposition, as you say, the tail will go on some months. Does that make it perhaps a greater argument for extending the fuel excise just to cover the next few months until things get back to normal?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. Look, we’ll make our assessment over coming days. We obviously need to make a decision prior to June 30 and we need to do that in advance, obviously, of June 30 so people have appropriate notice. Our ERC meets regularly. We’ll be doing that at the beginning of next week. We’ll make an appropriate assessment.
JOURNALIST: Minister, the way that the HAFF is set up, the intention, or what was said when you were putting the legislation through Parliament, was that there would be draw down every year. Now, the drawdown for this financial year as I understand hasn’t happened yet. So, it’s actually two calendar years since the last one. Can you explain why that is? Is that a loophole in the legislation?
CLARE O'NEIL: No. What we have here is a generational investment being made in social and affordable housing for our country, and I would argue a generational investment that is vastly overdue. Let’s be real. If the former government had the vision and the commitment and the energy to do the kind of things our government is doing on housing, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. The truth is we are trying to change a system here and the Opposition are maintaining that they want the status quo to remain the same. That’s not the way we see things. We want to see better housing outcomes for Australians and the Housing Australia Future Fund is a really important way that we are delivering that.
JOURNALIST: On the NDIS, how willing are you to make changes to the legislation going into Parliament? Do you want it to get through before the end of the month?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll treat the Senate with the respect that it deserves. There’s inquiries. We’ll wait and see submissions which are there. Labor created the NDIS. We’re proud of the NDIS. We want it to be sustainable, and we want people who need support to make sure that they get it.
JOURNALIST: Did the testimony of some of the people at the inquiry last week, did that concern you? People have said that people with disability will die as a result of these changes.
PRIME MINISTER: We will respond appropriately. We will make sure that people get assistance. And it doesn’t assist the process to unnecessarily concern people, not based upon the facts. We’ve made it very clear, and the Disability Minister Mark Butler made clear again just yesterday morning in an interview, people won’t be left without support. We’re making sure that appropriate supports are there, including the supports aimed at young people. But we know that when we came into office, we inherited a 22 per cent annual increase in the NDIS. People know that that was not sustainable, but nothing happened about it. So, we’re acting on that. Just like we inherited an aged care system that was summarised by one word, 'Neglect', and we acted on that. Just like we inherited no public housing. 373 to be precise, not zero, 373 over almost a decade. And we created the Housing Australia Future Fund, which bear in mind this. Angus Taylor in his Budget in Reply said that this program that’s building these homes would be abolished if he is successful at the next election.
JOURNALIST: Two of Keir Starmer’s defence ministers have resigned in recent days. They say they don’t trust him to deliver the country’s defence investment plan, or to deliver sufficient funding to that. Have you pushed Prime Minister Starmer on the UK’s level of defence investment and its readiness to be a partner in the AUKUS enterprise?
PRIME MINISTER: I think you know the answer to that question. I’m surprised that you asked it. It would be extraordinary if I at a media conference spoke about engagements with my friend, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. What I know about Keir Starmer is what he’s said publicly and what he says privately as well, he’s very committed to the AUKUS project.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, One Nation’s personal campaign against you has gone from memes to mobile billboards, now she’s talking about 65,000 Australians contributing to a fighting fund that’s now going to national advertising. How do you defend yourself against that central allegation that you are a liar?
PRIME MINISTER: I talk about what I’m doing to deliver for Australians, and don’t engage in the sort of personalised politics that we are seeing. What I’m doing here is building homes for Australians. What I’m doing is delivering cheaper medicines. What I’m doing is opening Urgent Care Clinics now, all 137 right around the country. What I’ve done is triple the bulk billing incentive that’s lifted bulk billing up to now 3,800 clinics right around Australia, meaning that bulk billing rates are up above 80 per cent. That makes a difference to people. We’ve increased the minimum wage every year that I’ve been Prime Minister. All of which has been opposed by the three right wing parties in our Parliament. We’ll continue to deliver for Australians and we’ll continue to be focused on their needs.
JOURNALIST: Despite that list of cost-of-living support, Pauline Hanson is polling now as preferred Prime Minister. Does that sting?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll continue to focus, absolutely, and if you go back, some of you reported some things in February 2025, I encourage you to go and have a look and see how that stood up to the test of time when people had to make a decision about who is in the best position to actually provide effective government –
JOURNALIST: So, you don’t think it will follow through at the actual ballot box, is that what you’re saying?
PRIME MINISTER: Effective government.
JOURNALIST: Why don’t you think that that message, though, is filtering through to Australians? They’re still looking at One Nation. Her polling is still rising. Why is your message about cost-of-living action not filtering through?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re continuing to act. People are under pressure. We understand that. It’s easy to identify grievance. The issue is providing solutions. This is a concrete solution, excuse the pun, to housing issues. It’s real. It makes a difference to people just like cheaper child care makes a difference to people, just like fully funding every school in Australia, for full and fair funding, is making a difference, just like the Universities Accord, is making a difference just like our relationships in our region have made an enormous difference.
Think about the global fuel crisis that has just occurred and think about whether everyone in public life would be in a position to go to our Asian friends in Singapore, in Brunei, in Malaysia, in China, in South Korea and Japan and say we have a relationship that is important of mutual interest in our region. We need to make sure that we continue to have fuel supply. You look at what we have managed to, we hope that the conflict has ended, but you look at what we’ve managed to achieve. Prior to Easter, when I did the address to the nation, the Coalition were asking questions in the Parliament and saying that there would need to be restrictions on access to fuel after Easter. Immediately afterwards they dismissed the visits and the work that we did with our partners in the region and said that was a waste of time. And what we have achieved here, unlike many countries in our region, is to deliver that security of supply so that today we have more jet fuel, petrol and diesel in Australia than we had on February 28th when this conflict began. That hasn’t happened by accident. That’s happened due to relationships and by good policy through the use of Export Finance Australia to purchase fuel on the spot market. That’s what serious political parties of government are able to achieve when they’re focused on the needs of the Australian people. That’s what we’re focused on.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minster, you’ve backed a pay rise for low paid workers. The Remuneration Tribunal is looking at the pay of senior executives in the APS [INDISTINCT]. Do you think that’s in line with community expectations?
PRIME MINISTER: I think the Rem Tribunal are independent and that’s really important.
JOURNALIST: So is the Fair Work Commission.
PRIME MINISTER: The Rem Tribunal are independent of government and are very important. That that occur, the fact that the review has been asked for speaks for itself.
JOURNALIST: A nine-year-old Australian girl has been killed by a police officer in Pakistan. What’s your message to her family, and will the Australian Government advocate for transparency in the investigation?
PRIME MINISTER: My heart goes out to the family and friends and indeed the Pakistani Australian community will be really feeling this today. A nine-year-old girl visiting Pakistan with her family should have been a time of joy and these circumstances do need to be examined. They need to be examined in a transparent way so that everyone can know, the family most importantly, but others as well and Australia expects it to be transparency and a proper investigation of these circumstances. My understanding is that not only has a young girl lost her life, but there have been other members of the family injured as well in circumstances which are dire indeed.
JOURNALIST: We’ve obviously seen a rise in One Nation, obviously, in the regions, but it’s [INDISTINCT]. What would your message be to regional Australia if, we’re far from the polls, yeah, but it seems as though they’re feeling a bit left out.
PRIME MINISTER: We continue to engage in regional Australia, in urban Australia, everywhere. We want to represent the interests of everyone, whether they’re Labor supporters, Coalition supporters, Green supporters, One Nation supporters. We want to represent the interests of all Australians and that is one of the things that defines my Government. We seek to bring Australians together in a united way. We’ll leave others to seek to divide Australians and pit Australians against each other. That’s not my method. That’s not what I do. One of the things that I understand as a former regional development minister and someone who has concentrated, if you look at the investments that we’ve made, the support that we’ve made opening Urgent Care Clinics, I’ve been to them in Rockhampton, in Cairns, in Townsville, right around Queensland, right around regional Australia is that we understand as well that we want regions to grow both in themselves because of the quality of life that are offered, but also to take pressure off our big east coast capitals in particular. If you look at where I go during the last election campaign, some people were like, “Why are you in Bundaberg? Why are you in Longreach? Why are you in Kununurra? Why are you in Karratha?” It’s because I want to represent the whole country. That’s what I continue to do and that’s what last week I was in Bendigo. This week I’ll be out and about as well right around the country and we want to represent all Australians. That’s why our healthcare funding has particularly assisted people in regional Australia. That’s why the proper school funding goes to every school, not just some schools, every school, to be properly funded. Public and private, independent goes to the whole lot. That’s why our regional investment as well, whether it’s things like high-speed rail from Newcastle to Sydney that we want to advance, whether it’s the work we’re doing on the Bruce Highway record funding, $7.2 billion we announced in January of 2025 of additional funding. That’s why we’re supporting jobs and infrastructure and manufacturing in places like Whyalla with the steelworks up in Mount Isa in Gladstone as well at the refinery. That’s why we’re very supportive of Tomago as well and are in negotiations with the company and New South Wales. We support Australians right throughout the country, whether it be regional Australia or urban Australia. We’re all Australians and we need to work together and that is something that my Government will continue to do. Thanks very much.