On Thursday, 11 December 2026, I asked the Premier during Question Time if the government considers housing to be a human right.
You can read my question and the Premier's response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here.
Mr BERKMAN: My question is to the Premier. In response to Queensland’s housing crisis, more than 6,600 petitioners have called for a legal right to adequate housing as recommended by last year’s independent review of the Human Rights Act. Does this government consider housing is a human right?
Mr CRISAFULLI: I thank the honourable member for the question. Whilst we might disagree on how it should be achieved, the one thing I will say is that we have a shared view on the need for every Queenslander to have a roof over their head—a place to call home. That is our vision. That is our focus.
I want to unpack a couple of things. I know that there has been a lot of commentary over the years about taxation and all sorts of different pressure points, and whether or not some people should be penalised for wanting to buy a house and others should not be. In the end, we have to get our supply right. There is no way we can deal with Labor’s housing crisis unless we get the supply right.
Ms Scanlon interjected.
Mr CRISAFULLI: I will take the interjection from the member for Gaven, who presided over a disgraceful record in housing. The member for Gaven should be very embarrassed by that. I will get on to that in a moment.
We have to deal with the supply issue. What is this government doing? Firstly, we are embarking on the biggest Residential Activation Fund, working in partnership with local government, in this state’s history—a $2 billion fund. Already there are 98,000 extra lots that will come out of the ground on the back of that. That gives people an opportunity to buy a house. Secondly, we have removed two taxes already in our time in government, including the tax on someone buying their first new home. That is a really big deal and something we are very passionate about. We are allowing Queenslanders to rent out a room without being penalised. That is a big deal and we will keep focusing on it. A good government also has a responsibility to provide social housing, and I think this is where it goes to the member’s question.
Ms Scanlon interjected.
Mr CRISAFULLI: I take the interjection from the member for Gaven who presided over a multibillion-dollar fund that did not deliver one single home for Queenslanders. Therefore, I will take the interjection. The member for Gaven did not do a good job, but the LNP did unlock the door, giving her the keys to her first home. But she did not do a good job. Over the course of the last decade in Queensland, the Labor Party delivered just 507 social homes per year. That is a disgrace. Following the election of this government and the work of the housing minister, we will deliver more than four times that per annum in our first term, by the end of the term. Now, that is a big deal—
Mr BERKMAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order on relevance. The question was very specific: does the government consider housing is a human right?
Mr SPEAKER: Premier, you have the call. You heard the question.
Mr CRISAFULLI: Every person deserves a roof over their head. There are also big challenges for people with mental health challenges who are also sleeping rough, and we have to do more in that space and we will. The community housing sector is a sleeping giant in this state. Our vision is to make sure they feel empowered, not victimised, as those opposite did. Our vision for Queensland housing is the following: people who work hard and aspire to own a home should be able to; people who rent should have the confidence to know that when their rent comes up for renewal, there will be enough supply that they do not get kicked out; and the most vulnerable deserve a roof over their head. After a decade of decline, we are delivering for Queensland.