Hon. MAJ SCANLON (Gaven—ALP) (Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Public Works) (10.05 am): The principle of a fair go is something that is important to Queenslanders and it is important to our Labor government. It is in our DNA. To me a fair go means that every Queenslander has a safe place to call home. It is why we are investing billions of dollars to deliver new social homes, from the Cape to the Gold Coast.

Social housing gives people a leg-up, but it also creates generational change. The fact that a kid can be raised in public housing and go on to be the prime minister of this country is proof of that. A home is not just four walls and a roof; it is a foundation. It is a foundation for a young person to study and get a good job, for a veteran such as Neville to age with dignity and for someone with a disability such as Simon to live independently. That is what Labor governments are about.

Our Homes for Queenslanders plan might be ambitious, but I do not think it is unreasonable to try to meet the needs of Queenslanders. We are the first state in the country to lay out a long-term vision to do that. While 53,500 more social homes might sound like a lot, it can be done by building more public housing and utilising our Housing Investment Fund to enter into partnerships with super funds and community housing providers.

On Sunday, the Premier announced that 47 homes will be built in partnership with Y-Care, aimed at older women who are at risk of homelessness. On the Gold Coast I announced that we will work with Brisbane Housing Company Limited to build 159 social and affordable homes in the heart of Southport. In Gladstone we purchased the former Barney Beach Accommodation centre to create 85 social and affordable units. The member for Harvey Bay announced a partnership with local developer Shorelyne to build 32 new homes for low-income, older Queenslanders. In South Brisbane we saw the first expectant mothers and new families move into 60 self-contained units in the newly renovated Menso hotel. These are real partnerships and real homes, not slogans and soundbites.

The fact is that when we came to government housing had been going backwards under the LNP housing spokesperson. We have changed that and if elected in October we will continue to do what matters.