Victoria’s hot seats LIVE updates: Air guitar-playing Greens promise tax breaks for live-music venues

There are not many better places to hold a press conference than a pub on a sunny Friday. Today I was in the beer garden of the Retreat Hotel in Sydney Road, Brunswick, for a Greens announcement on live music. It’s a tough job sometimes!

Wills candidate Samantha Ratnam was joined by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and two performers, Taylah Carroll and Isobel D’Cruz Barnes, to launch a policy that would provide tax breaks for venues, touring artists and theatre productions.

Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young talk live music at the Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. Credit: Tom Cowie

These are the details:

• Live music venues – 10 per cent tax offsets for the costs of hosting live music.
• Touring artists – 50 per cent tax offset for travel expenses.
• Theatre productions – 40 per cent tax offset for the costs of live theatre production (similar to screen producer offset).

The Greens said the policy had been analysed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and would cost $700 million over the forward estimates. They are citing modelling that it would lead to an 18 per cent increase in live performances in the first year and a 35 per cent ongoing increase.

Hanson-Young, who helped spruik the policy with some air-guitar playing on Instagram, said it was aimed at helping venues such as the Retreat stay open after the COVID-19 pandemic led to a downturn for the music industry.

“This policy is for the artists, it’s for our loved local venues, and it’s for making sure that artists can tour around the country,” she said.

A federal parliamentary inquiry into the “challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry” recently proposed a tax offset for live performances among its 20 recommendations for the sector.

The report did not suggest a precise model, but it did cite a submission from APRA/AMCOS (which administers royalties on behalf of songwriters, composers and music publishers) that claimed: “A combined venue offset (of 5 per cent of expenses …) would boost the incomes of musicians and artists by $205 million per year with an additional 203,200 gigs.”

During the policy launch, Ratnam was asked for her favourite live music venue in Wills. After thinking for a moment, she nominated Bar Oussou on Sydney Road.

“We have attracted artists to come and make this their home, because they are surrounded by other artists and performers. But also because we’ve had the venues to support live performers for a number of years,” she said. “But that is under grave threat, which is why this proposal is going to be so welcomed by so many venues across the electorate.”

One of the musicians appearing with the Greens, Taylah Carroll, said the policy would help relieve some of the financial risk and strain on artists, who often provide free labour.

“It’s never been easy to be an artist, but in this increasingly unstable climate ... it feels harder than ever,” she said. “The world will always, and perhaps now more than ever, benefit from the cultural and human enrichment that music provides.”

Thanks for joining The Age “hot seat” blog this week.

We’re almost at the halfway mark.

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will both take to the stage on Sunday to launch their campaigns to the party faithful.

Postal voting opens soon after the launches and pre-poll voting centres open progressively from April 22 ahead of the May 3 poll date.

After a busy week campaigning, ballot draws were held around the country today to determine the order of candidates on ballot forms. While some candidates showed up to soak up the pageantry of the occasion – with blindfolds and bingo balls – others continued to keep a low profile.

The Kooyong ballot draw in Kew today.Credit: Penny Stephens

In Kooyong, Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer started the week having to explain her home ownership, after pitching herself as a renter. The 31-year-old popped up on social media later in the week, talking to commuters with campaign staff. We also looked into the Liberal Party’s much-quoted claims about independent MP Monique Ryan’s voting record in Parliament – and concluded both sides are right (and wrong).

Goldstein’s Liberal candidate, former MP Tim Wilson, took Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for a spin in his van to spruik the party’s pledge to slash the price of petrol, while the seat’s independent MP Zoe Daniel took to ABC morning airwaves and chalked up wins such as the major parties’ funding commitment for upgraded change room facilities for the Sandringham Football Club. Daniel, who declares her donations on her website in real time, also revealed a war chest of more than $1.6 million to help retain the seat.

In Wills, housing and cost-of-living announcements dominated the duelling between the two key candidates: Labor MP Peter Khalil and the Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam. Both candidates drew support from appearances in the electorate with federal colleagues: Labor’s Housing Minister Claire O’Neil and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

In Bruce, the campaign of Liberal candidate Zahid Safi was overshadowed by revelations of his campaign manager Andrew McNabb’s offensive social media posts. The campaign manager has since resigned from the party.

The “hot seats” blog returns on Monday with more breaking news from our senior reporters on the ground in these crucial seats.

There are not many better places to hold a press conference than a pub on a sunny Friday. Today I was in the beer garden of the Retreat Hotel in Sydney Road, Brunswick, for a Greens announcement on live music. It’s a tough job sometimes!

Wills candidate Samantha Ratnam was joined by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and two performers, Taylah Carroll and Isobel D’Cruz Barnes, to launch a policy that would provide tax breaks for venues, touring artists and theatre productions.

Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young talk live music at the Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. Credit: Tom Cowie

These are the details:

• Live music venues – 10 per cent tax offsets for the costs of hosting live music.
• Touring artists – 50 per cent tax offset for travel expenses.
• Theatre productions – 40 per cent tax offset for the costs of live theatre production (similar to screen producer offset).

The Greens said the policy had been analysed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and would cost $700 million over the forward estimates. They are citing modelling that it would lead to an 18 per cent increase in live performances in the first year and a 35 per cent ongoing increase.

Hanson-Young, who helped spruik the policy with some air-guitar playing on Instagram, said it was aimed at helping venues such as the Retreat stay open after the COVID-19 pandemic led to a downturn for the music industry.

“This policy is for the artists, it’s for our loved local venues, and it’s for making sure that artists can tour around the country,” she said.

A federal parliamentary inquiry into the “challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry” recently proposed a tax offset for live performances among its 20 recommendations for the sector.

The report did not suggest a precise model, but it did cite a submission from APRA/AMCOS (which administers royalties on behalf of songwriters, composers and music publishers) that claimed: “A combined venue offset (of 5 per cent of expenses …) would boost the incomes of musicians and artists by $205 million per year with an additional 203,200 gigs.”

During the policy launch, Ratnam was asked for her favourite live music venue in Wills. After thinking for a moment, she nominated Bar Oussou on Sydney Road.

“We have attracted artists to come and make this their home, because they are surrounded by other artists and performers. But also because we’ve had the venues to support live performers for a number of years,” she said. “But that is under grave threat, which is why this proposal is going to be so welcomed by so many venues across the electorate.”

One of the musicians appearing with the Greens, Taylah Carroll, said the policy would help relieve some of the financial risk and strain on artists, who often provide free labour.

“It’s never been easy to be an artist, but in this increasingly unstable climate ... it feels harder than ever,” she said. “The world will always, and perhaps now more than ever, benefit from the cultural and human enrichment that music provides.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton popped up on the campaign trail with Goldstein candidate Tim Wilson yesterday for a photo opportunity featuring Wilson’s prized campaign van Polly.

Polly is a Toyota HiAce in royal Liberal blue featuring a larger than life picture of Wilson on each side with the slogan “our community first”.

Goldstein Liberal candidatae Tim Wilson behind the wheel in Polly with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, while the party’s Macnamara candidate Benson Saulo watches on.Credit: James Brickwood

Wilson posted footage on social media of him giving Polly a wash before her moment in the spotlight.

Why Polly? You guessed it, Polly the politician.

Wilson said there was a whole naming process among his volunteers with other name suggestions including Vida (the electorate is named after pioneering feminist Vida Goldstein), Margaret, Enid, Dorothy and Priscilla, before settling on “Polly Tician the Victory Wagon”.

Dutton spruiking his fuel excise policy on Thursday with Wilson, Saulo and Liberal state Opposition Leader Brad Battin.Credit: James Brickwood

Dutton and Wilson used Polly to spruik the Liberals’ pledge to slash the price of petrol by 24.4¢ per litre for one year and to dump Labor’s penalties on gas-guzzling vehicles .

They were photographed together in Caulfield along with Benson Saulo, the Liberal candidate for Macnamara, and state Liberal leader Brad Battin.

Wilson and Dutton drove in Polly to a 7-Eleven in Caulfield for the photo opportunity. When I asked what they got up to, Wilson said: “We picked Peter Dutton up and took him to a nearby petrol station, to get a tank of petrol and say g’day to Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin. Our campaign van got a fill-up of petrol, which would be 25 cents less tax per litre under a Liberal-led government.”

Wilson declined to comment on whether Dutton actually made it as far as Goldstein or just around the block.

We brought you news earlier this week of a social media account by Andrew McNabb, campaign manager for the Liberal candidate for Bruce, Zahid Safi.

Over the past two years, and as recently as last week, McNabb posted dozens of expletive-laden comments about Labor, Greens and independent politicians, and sprayed anyone who dared criticise the Liberal Party with insults.

In a sample of the posts on X, McNabb called women: “STUPID B”, “ugly old bat”, “stupid bitch”, “dumb old cow”, “leftist bitch”.

Liberal Party HQ snapped into action on Tuesday, and within an hour of receiving questions from The Age, a spokesperson said McNabb would no longer work on the campaign.

“These comments do not reflect the party’s values or the standards we expect.”

On the ground, however, there were concerns it was a very different story.

Multiple Liberal members said Safi and McNabb had told members throughout the week McNabb would continue working on the campaign “behind the scenes”.

Liberal member Sodhi Charan praised McNabb on Wednesday in a since-deleted Facebook post.

“Well done for running such a great campaign,” Charan wrote. “We will win Bruce and we can see people panicking and creating a fake stories [sic]! Keep it up and we are all with you uncle Andrew McNabb.”

Andrew McNabb (left) at Zahid Safi’s campaign launch.Credit: Charlotte Grieve

Several Liberal members, who spoke to The Age on the condition of anonymity to speak about party matters, became increasingly frustrated by McNabb’s ongoing association with the campaign, saying he damaged the party’s brand and Safi’s chances at victory.

We went to the Liberal Party with more questions about McNabb’s involvement with the party and today we received a new statement.

“Mr McNabb resigned his membership of the Party yesterday afternoon, as is appropriate,” a spokesperson said.

Some party members say this still doesn’t go far enough, claiming McNabb can simply reapply for membership after the election and the formal expulsion process is the only way to ensure he doesn’t return.

The controversial Victorian Liberal candidate who challenged former premier Daniel Andrews in his Mulgrave seat at the 2022 state election, Michael Piastrino, said McNabb should be expelled.

“You don’t treat women like that, or talk about them like that. They need to expel him.”

Neither McNabb and Safi responded to requests for comment.

Ballot orders were drawn for all electorates today, including our other “hot seats”.

In Goldstein, a Trumpet of Patriots candidate got the No.1 spot so will benefit from any donkey votes, while the two key candidates, incumbent independent Zoe Daniel and Liberal candidate Tim Wilson took out the bottom two spots.

The ballot draw for the Bruce electorate.Credit: Justin McManus

In Wills, Labor’s Peter Khalil secured the second spot on the ballot, while Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam was sixth. The Socialist Alliance’s Sue Bolton was first.

In Bruce, One Nation candidate Bianca Colecchia scored the No.1 spot on the ballot. Sitting MP Labor’s Julian Hill will be third on the ballot, while the Liberals’ Zahid Safi secured the fifth spot.

Here are the full ballot orders:

WILLS

1. Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance)
2. Peter Khalil (ALP)
3. Jeff Kidney (Liberal Party)
4. Margee Glover (Legalise Cannabis)
5. Owen Miller (Fusion)
6. Samantha Ratnam (Greens)
7. Rachel Versteegen (Libertarian Party)
8. Bruce Stevens (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party)

GOLDSTEIN

1. Vicki Williams (Trumpet of Patriots)
2. Nildhara Gadani (ALP)
3. David Segal (Libertarian)
4. Alana Galli-McRostie (Greens)
5. Leon Gardiner (One Nation)
6. Zoe Daniel (Independent)
7. Tim Wilson (Liberal Party)

BRUCE

1. Bianca Colecchia (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party)
2. Rhonda Garad (Greens)
3. Julian Hill (ALP)
4. Christine Skrobo (Libertarian Party)
5. Zahid Safi (Liberal Party)
6. Samuel James Anderson (Trumpet of Patriots)
7. Andrew Louth (Legalise Cannabis Party)
8. Wendy Birchall (Family First Party)

There’s something very … Australian about how we decide the order of candidates on the ballot paper. The blindfold, the cage, the bingo balls. It’s giving meat tray raffle energy. I kind of love it.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, there’s a marginal advantage to drawing a higher position on the ballot. Some voters simply number candidates according to the order in which they appear on the ballot – a donkey vote – so being at the top helps.

Independent MP Monique Ryan at the Kooyong ballot draw.Credit: Penny Stephens

The Kooyong candidates who showed up for today’s ballot draw were clearly enjoying themselves. There were laughs, some nerves, and the chance to spin the metal cage. Among those present were independent MP Monique Ryan, Greens candidate Jackie Carter, Labor’s Clive Crosby, and a new face – David Vader (yes, D. Vader) from Trumpet of Patriots.

Conspicuously absent, though, was Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer, who, as it turns out, drew a more favourable spot than Ryan.

Libertarian Party candidate Richard Pepper drew the top position. Hamer came in second. While she wasn’t in the largely empty Kew showroom where the draw was held, someone from her campaign evidently was – and let out a triumphant “YES!!” when her ball came out.

After that, the room quietened as the rest of the candidates learnt their fate. Ryan, who topped the ballot in 2022, was drawn second-last this time.

Labor’s Crosby laughed off his wooden spoon spot.

“I’ll get the reverse donkey vote,” he said.

Trumpet of Patriots candidate David Vader.Credit: Penny Stephens

Ryan may have been disappointed with sixth but didn’t show it when I spoke with her afterwards. She downplayed the significance of ballot positions, saying Kooyong voters were generally too engaged to fall for a donkey vote.

“The numbers fall as the numbers fall,” she said. “The people in Kooyong are really smart. Last time we were concerned that in not naming preferences [on how to vote cards] or not having a preference distribution, that that would be a problem for people, but we didn’t find that that was the case.”

On Hamer’s absence, Ryan said it was “quite a shame”. “Because it’s quite – as you saw with those guys – a significant moment. It’s a big moment in the campaign. Obviously, being here really doesn’t influence things at all, but it’s part of the campaign experience and [for me] very memorable on both occasions.”

I’ve sought comment from Hamer on her draw and to ask why she didn’t attend, but haven’t yet heard back.

Oddly enough, while the draw was under way a truck carting gigantic Amelia Hamer billboards cruised past up High Street in Kew.

THE FULL KOOYONG BALLOT ORDER

1. Richard Peppard (Libertarian Party)
2. Amelia Hamer (Liberal Party)
3. Jackie Carter (Greens)
4. Camille Brache (One Nation)
5. David Vader (Trumpet of Patriots)
6. Monique Ryan (Independent)
7. Clive Crosby (ALP)

Victoria Police are investigating the source of unauthorised banners with homophobic messages about Labor MP Julian Hill spotted in south-east Melbourne on Friday morning.

The banners, seen in the Bruce electorate, including tied to a highway overpass, carry rainbow graphics and messages about Hill’s personal life.

“Julian Hill MP – more worried about his husband than his constituents,” one banner stated.

Labor MP Julian Hill has condemned the banners.Credit: Elke Meitzel

Hill is gay and has a partner but is not married.

He said Liberal campaign buses were seen close to some of the posters, and accused the party of being behind the slurs directly or indirectly.

“No one should be surprised that these Liberals and their nasty mates stoop to these sorts of smears as they’ve got nothing positive to say,” Hill said. “I always have and always will stand up for everyone in the Bruce electorate, no matter their faith, ethnicity or who they are.”

A Liberal Party spokesperson said the party had nothing to do with the banners and reported them to the Australian Electoral Commission.

“The Liberal Party is not responsible for this banner, and we condemn this type of behaviour,” the spokesperson said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was asked about the signs at a press conference this morning. “I’ve seen the images. I condemn them. Our families are off limits. I thought it was disgraceful,” he said.

A banner targeting Jullian Hill.

A police spokesperson said officers responded to reports of two offensive banners hung on an overpass bridge in Dandenong this morning and were calling for information.

“Officers attended Hemmings Park bridge overpass, which runs over the Princes Highway, and are processing the scene, with the banners removed.

“There is absolutely no place for hate-based behaviour in our society and police will not tolerate such activity.

“Investigations into this incident remain ongoing.”

The police spokesperson said more banners were found later in the day.

“Following that, police have been advised of further incidents where banners have been displayed in various places including Casey and Cardinia local government areas.”

The police spokesperson said some posters were removed

Police are asking for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A spokesperson for the AEC said: “We’re having a look into this with regard to authorisation requirements.”

Advance Australia and Muslim Votes Matter both said they were not involved in the banners.

“We unreservedly condemn those banners and we have absolutely nothing to do with them,” Muslim Votes Matters spokesperson Ghaith Krayem said. “We have no issue with any of the candidates’ personal lives.”

Long-promised changeroom upgrades at the Sandringham Football Club look like they are going to finally get the green light after years of political football.

There’s no doubt this upgrade is desperately needed – there’s only one open space for players to get changed in and one for umpires.

Goldstein independent MP Zoe Daniel, pictured at the Trevor Barker Oval with athletes back in 2022 when she began advocating for the upgrade, has taken some credit for the major parties’ funding commitment.Credit: Zoe Daniel

Each space has one toilet cubicle, an open urinal and no private showers: just four shower heads side-by-side.

Female players have been getting changed in their cars.

Labor last night announced $1.8 million towards the change room upgrades, with Labor’s newly announced candidate for Goldstein, Nildhara Gadani, calling it a “game changer” for local clubs that use the Trevor Barker Oval.

“We want to encourage more women and girls to get into sport,” she said. “But to do that, they have to feel comfortable using the facilities. I’m so pleased that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will invest in this project and support our local sporting community.”

That’s the same changeroom upgrade that the Liberals last month announced they would also contribute $1.8 million to if elected.

Liberal candidate Tim Wilson said he had secured the commitment towards the construction of new women’s changerooms as part of a planned $4 million redevelopment of the north and south pavilions at the oval.

“I’ve been listening to the Sandy Zebras, its players and local families,” Wilson said on 13 March. “This project is important and will continue to encourage improved female participation in local sport.”

It’s not the first time Wilson has made this pledge. At the last election, back in May 2022, he said a re-elected Coalition government would deliver $1.3 million for new women’s changerooms.

“This funding will ensure that women and girls in our community have access to safe and fit-for-purpose facilities at both the North and South pavilions of Trevor Barker Oval, the home of the Sandringham Zebras and Southern Saints,” Wilson said in 2022.

Independent MP Zoe Daniel said she has been hard at work in the background advocating for the upgrade.

“This is a terrific result for the Sandringham Football Club and women’s sport,” she said. “I’ve been fighting for this upgrade since before the last election. I’m pleased the major parties have come to the table.”

Daniel said one of the reasons girls drop out of sport is because the change rooms are outdated and inappropriate.

“More sporting grounds in Goldstein need to be upgraded but this is a great first step,” she said.

“It’s actually an amazing reflection of the success of an independent approach to politics that both major parties are now funding it. So it doesn’t matter who wins the election, the project will be funded.”

With a margin of just 3.3 per cent, it’s no surprise there’s a bit of political football over funding underway in Goldstein.

Stephen Newnham, a former Labor campaign director during one state (2006), one federal (2007) and three state byelections, talked to my colleagues Rachael Dexter and Roy Ward earlier this month for a story on sports funding in election campaigns.

He said that funding local sport clubs in marginal seats like Goldstein was “often about risk mitigation” and “neutralising” any potential attacks from your opponent.

While candidates love the photo opportunities, the real political bang for buck comes from “making sure the other side can’t kick the crap out of you for not funding it”, Newnham said.

With everyone on board for the upgrade, there’s no long that problem at the Sandringham Football Club.

If you live in Kooyong, you’ve probably seen this number everywhere — on posters, billboards and pamphlets stuffed into your letterbox: 77 per cent.

The Liberal Party is campaigning hard against teal independent MP Monique Ryan with its “Teals Revealed” campaign, using data sourced from the Parliamentary Library to highlight her voting record in parliament.

Campaign material turning up in Kooyong letterboxes.

Their headline claim? That Ryan has “voted with the Greens 77 per cent of the time” — a figure designed to stoke fears of a Labor-Greens-teals minority government.

“Don’t risk it,” the pamphlets warn.

Ryan – who is being challenged by Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer in the seat – has hit back, labelling the campaign misinformation. In response, she issued a five-page pamphlet of her own, accusing the Liberals of spreading “egregious falsehoods”.

She points out she voted in favour of just 21 out of 37 Greens motions — that’s 56 per cent — citing figures also drawn from the Parliamentary Library.

So, who’s right? Well … both, kind of. Because they’re talking about two very different things.

Only MPs can request Parliamentary Library analysis — not journalists — but both the Hamer and Ryan camps have shared the data they got from the library with me. We’ve put together a few tables and graphs to show you the difference.

The 77 per cent figure comes from a dataset that measures how often Ryan’s votes in the past three years aligned with the major parties on all matters in parliament — not just on legislation. By this metric:

• Ryan voted with the Greens 77 per cent of the time;
• With Labor 44 per cent of the time;
• And with the Coalition 31 per cent of the time.

But this includes votes on everything — including procedural matters. These can be motions to extend debate time, move an amendment, or suspend standing orders. All are counted equally.

There’s a strong argument this is a blunt tool for understanding ideological alignment. For example, crossbenchers often support each other procedurally out of solidarity — even when they disagree on substance. This could look like Ryan backing Bob Katter’s right to propose an amendment, but then vote against that amendment.

When you narrow it down to substantive legislative votes, the picture shifts. According to the figures the Liberals are working off:

• Ryan voted with the Greens 86 per cent of the time to consider amendments, but only 64 per cent of the time to accept them.

• With Labor, she voted to consider amendments 43 per cent of the time and accept amendments 51 per cent of the time.

• With the Coalition, she voted to consider amendments 20 per cent of the time and to accept them 37 per cent of the time.

Ryan’s team argues a more accurate reflection of her record comes from looking at how she voted on motions according to who sponsored (or moved) them.

By that measure, across 504 votes in the past three years, Ryan voted:

• In favour of 51 per cent of Labor motions;
• 88 per cent of non-Green crossbench motions;
• 42 per cent of Liberal-National motions;
• And 56 per cent of Greens motions.

This dataset also includes procedural motions, so it carries similar limitations when interpreting ideology. But the Liberal argument is that procedural motions can be political, too — suspending standing orders or ruling that a member be no longer heard are, in their view, strategic moves used to achieve political outcomes.

Whether you agree or not, the key point is this: both sides are using the same pool of votes and slicing them to suit their narrative.

It’s a classic case of selective data storytelling — and a timely reminder of how statistics can be used to shape political messaging.

At little earlier today, I brought you a report on Peter Khalil’s appearance in Coburg, where he and federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil had a crack at the Greens over housing.

In particular, they accused the Greens of stalling Labor’s housing plans in the Senate for months, which meant an affordable development at 541 Sydney Road had not proceeded before the election.

Wills MP Peter Khalil toured the empty site at 541 Sydney Road with Labor colleagues including federal Housing Minister Claire O’Neil on Thursday morning.Credit: Justin McManus

The land is owned by Development Victoria and has been sitting empty for over a decade.

“If the Greens political party had not blocked the [Housing Australia Future Fund] for over a year, we could be having this press conference maybe on the seventh or eighth floor,” Khalil, the Labor MP for Wills, said.

Labor says that the development is under threat if it doesn’t win re-election, claiming that contracts are ready to be signed for the project which will deliver 59 affordable homes if it goes ahead. O’Neil has written to the federal opposition asking them to allow the government to keep approving HAFF projects during caretaker mode.

The $10 billion HAFF fund is a key part of the government’s efforts to address the nation’s housing crisis, by supporting social and affordable housing.

I asked Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam for a response to this and she told me that her party, after negotiations, went on to support the Housing Australia Future Fund in late 2023, with the first projects then selected for funding in September 2024.

Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam, pictured campaigning in North Coburg, maintains her party’s negotiations with Labor over housing will deliver more affordable housing. Credit: Joe Armao

However she pointed out the Victorian state government was still looking for a developer to build affordable housing on the Coburg site in August last year.

“Labor is the reason there are no homes built here,” she said.

“Negotiating isn’t always pretty, but thanks to Greens pressure in parliament, more social and affordable homes will be built and upgraded across the country with the $3.5 billion investment we secured from the government.”

Ratnam also nominated her party’s plans to cap rents and ban political donations from property developers as policies that would help housing affordability.

“With a minority parliament expected, the Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act on the housing, cost of living and climate crises,” she said.