Senate Economics Legislation Committee, , 6:45:37 to 6:49:20
Scrutiny of the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) regarding its spending efficiency and the number of houses constructed to date.
Topics: Government spending, Infrastructure
Speakers: Hon Katy Gallagher, Senator Andrew Bragg, Unknown Speaker, Senator Lisa Darmanin
I think we're trying to work out right now, given you've been in government for a long time, um, how we can help you help the country, and that's why asking these questions. Well that's that's why asking these questions is an important part of the process. So like pass the PHI reform. I mean, don't you think there's a problem with the quality of the spending you have when you think about some of the bureaucracies you're running in your government, like your housing ones and the other ones that don't build houses that waste a lot of money? I mean, don't you think there are opportunities to save taxpayer funds?
All right, well, here we go. So let's genuinely engage on this. Uh fiscal year, the fastest growing programs, natural disaster relief, 280%. So is that one on the chopping block? Paid parental leave.
You asking me questions. I'm the finance minister. You've been in government for five years. I'm asking you questions. About why the budget is bugging. The budget is structurally broken. And do you want to talk about stuff five years ago?
The theory of being in opposition is that you get to wander in and say, oh, it's the quality of the spending. So okay, I'll take that up. Okay. Is a 280% increase in natural disaster relief? Is that poor quality or okay quality in your mind? Is paid parental leave? Where we've seen a 15% of the year.
I thought we were sending that because the opposition asked the government.
Rephrase two lists is the item. You're in government.
I'm asking you questions.
You're actually having to engage on the subject.
I'm having engaged, but this is Senator.
Defence spending? Is that a is that quality or not quality? You're afraid of having a debate about the health and hospitality of your spending as the finance spending. They are the areas where the pressure is. And of any of those, is it your determination that they are poor quality?
I'm just seeking your guidance whether the finance minister is supposed to be asking me questions or whether I'm supposed to be asking the finance minister to the process.
I think that you did ask a question about whether the financial. but I think the minister is responding to your question, which was about the quality of the spending decisions made.
Okay, so the housing, the housing fund's got 10 billion bucks, it's been going for three years and it's built less than a thousand houses. Is that good value?
We are committed to the Housing Australia future fund.
Okay, well there you go. Okay.
So can test some of those and include in the fact that you delayed it in the Senate for a number of years uh before it could get up and running and now complain about the delays.
But I mean this this is the problem. There is a lot of spending in the budget that isn't that isn't good value.
In your opinion, you don't rate housing. What else don't you rate?
Of course we rate housing, but how could it be the case that you could have $10 billion allocated to a fund? It's been going for three years that can build less than a $30 million.
Uh um it's overly subscribed, oversubscribed. That's the amount of demand there is for that type for different types of housing in the social and affordable space. And you guys from opportunity oh, just get rid of it. Just get rid of it. Do what you did last time when you were in government and completely remove yourself from the housing policy space. Well, we have a different view on that.
Is it right to say that there's a two billion dollar underspend of Housing Australia?
Housing Australia will appear later, and I think that's the question put to them.
Okay, fine.
Well, it's not it's I'm I don't have that information in front of me.
Well, how much of the spending is subject to a cost-benefit analysis?