Mr. Prime Minister, What Now About Your 1.2 Million Homes?

The Australian government set the target itself: build 1.2 million new, well-located homes over five years, by June 2029.

We did not invent that number.

Citizens did not force you to make that commitment.

It was your plan.

And now forecasts suggest that Australia is falling further behind that target.

So what happens now?

You simply do not make it — and that is it?

One target is missed. Another is delayed. A third is explained away by difficult circumstances.

Of course there are many reasons. Interest rates. Developers. Local councils. Land. Infrastructure. Migration. Construction costs.

But then a very simple question arises:

What is government for?

Is it not there precisely to see all of these problems, bring them together and find a solution?

Mr. Prime Minister, do you have a real plan to correct the situation?

What exactly are you going to change now?

What will be done differently if the current approach is not enough to achieve your own target?

And if 1.2 million homes are not built by the deadline, who will take responsibility?

Not explain why it was difficult.

Not list all the objective reasons again.

But simply say to Australians:

“Yes. We set this target. We did not meet it. Here is what we are doing now.”

Because otherwise another uncomfortable question appears.

If a government can set national targets, announce them to the public, fail to meet them and then simply move on — what are those promises worth?

Observer