Anthony Albanese faces uphill battle over housing fund
The Prime Minister faces his first major defeat inside Parliament House this week, as a key policy hangs in the balance.
Anthony Albanese faces an uphill battle inside Parliament House this week, as he fights to turn key policies into law.
In the final four sitting days before the May budget, the government still needs to secure support to pass the Housing Australia Future Fund.
It has secured the last-minute support of the Greens for its cornerstone climate policy, the safeguard mechanism, but still needs three senate crossbenchers to take the government’s side when it reaches the senate.
The opposition is opposed to both policies.
Mr Albanese is facing his first legislative defeat over the $10bn housing bill.
The government will also this week introduce the Constitution Alteration Bill, which will formalise the question all Australians will be asked at the Voice to parliament referendum later this year.
The government’s National Reconstruction Fund is also likely to pass the senate this week.
The Greens, who met the government halfway over its emissions reductions concern with the Safeguards Mechanism; are frustrated the government won’t budge on housing.
A key Labor election promise, the Housing Australia Future Fund would invest $10 billion, funded separately from the federal budget, into the Future Fund, with the earnings to be used to build social and affordable housing.
Labor’s intention is to build 30,000 new homes over the fund’s first five years; with a spending cap of $500 million annually.
Thousands of homes would be dedicated to housing women fleeing domestic violence; older women at risk of homelessness; defence force personnel; and First Nations people.
The Greens want the cap significantly raised to $5 billion; threatening to vote against the bill unless the government increases its housing budget and makes provisions for renters.
They say the Future Fund will only exacerbate the housing crisis in Australia, and have threatened to launch a door knocking campaign if the government doesn’t seek to pacify them.
Mr Albanese said discussions with the minor party and the crossbench were ongoing but appealed to them to back the policy.
“If people think that it’s a great idea to say that they support more investment in social housing but not back a $10bn fund that will build more social and affordable housing, then good luck having that argument,” Mr Albanese said.
“Because this is some of the rhetoric about the HAFF, some seem to think that this is in place of everything else – including the Commonwealth state housing agreements. This is not in place of other things that we have announced as well in the housing sector. This is additional.
“Some of the rhetoric that I have seen is rather strange really. I support increased investment in social and affordable housing and I call upon the parliament to do the same thing.”
Meanwhile, Tasmanian senators Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell are unlikely to support the housing fund unless the government agrees to build 1200 of the 30,000 promised homes in the southern isle.
Senator Lambie said she still had ongoing concerns but said the government’s biggest hurdle was getting the Greens over the line.
“What we do know is while we’re arguing over this, we’re not getting any houses built,” she told Nine on Monday morning, stressing she had not yet formed a final position.
“We need to start building houses, get this done and we can come after with more money. We can see what this looks like.
“The first house will be two years away. We really need to get something done here and I just see more people out there with homelessness … that will be a problem.
“We need a start point.”
Fellow crossbencher – and crucial vote – David Pocock wants the government to double its capital investment, citing concerns the bill would not cover projected social housing shortfalls.
Housing Minister Julie Collins has warned without “ambitious” reform, people will suffer.
“That is why I reiterate my call for people in the Senate particularly to get the Housing Australia Future Fund through the parliament, and get more homes on the ground quickly,” she said last week.
She last week stressed the government was doing more for housing than just the future fund.
Originally published as Anthony Albanese faces uphill battle over housing fund
