Federal Election 2025: Greens reveal demands if Labor forms minority government

Greens leader Adam Bandt has accused former PM John Howard of being a “bastard” and Donald Trump a “loser”.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has accused former PM John Howard of being a “bastard” for introducing the capital gains tax discount.

He also took aim at US President Donald Trump, labelling him a “loser” and “bully”.

Mr Bandt attacked both major parties over the issue of housing affordability as he confirmed the Greens would push to reform negative gearing and the CGT during an address at the National Press Club on Wednesday.

Mr Bandt said that Mr Howard, who is Liberal Party royalty, had created a “time bomb” when he introduced the CGT in 1999.

“Perhaps the biggest bastard of them all was John Howard, former Liberal prime minister, who single-handedly put house prices out of reach of first-home buyers with the capital gains tax discount in 1999,” he said.

“Before he did this, in the 1980s, the average house cost about three times the average income. Now, it has more than doubled to eight times the average income.”

The Greens policy shake-up would grandfather negative gearing and the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount for one investment property, but would be axed for any new properties purchased after the policy commences.

Mr Bandt also said the Greens would push a rental freeze as more Millennials and Gen Z became voters.

Mr Bandt also labelled Donald Trump is a “loser” and a “bully” as he accused the two major parties of putting Australia in the pocket of the US.

Mr Bandt said the historic Aukus security pact needed to be renegotiated, claiming there are millions of Australians who did not want to follow the US route and are scared by Mr Trump.

“This election is an incredible chance to say - say no to that big-loser energy that can is coming out of the White House,” he said.

“We want us to be a country where everyone can afford the basics and, where we are not joined at the hip to Donald Trump the next time he decides to go and press the nuclear codes and go to war.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has said the party will demand negative gearing be axed, if a Labor is forced to form a minority government. Picture, John Gass.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire

Mr Bandt also dismissed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s comments that he wouldn’t cut a deal with the Greens if the election results in a minority government.

“I think there is an expectation that, in the next parliament, it’s a minority parliament, that we work together,” he said.

“We’re putting on the table what we would like to see.”

In a move reaffirming the Greens’ intent to leverage Labor if they are required to help form minority government, Mr Bandt said the plan to axe the tax breaks would aid renters locked out of the market.

Analysis of 2021-22 Australian Taxation Office data shows more than 969,000 Australians claim a tax break for their “rental loss”.

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Originally published as Federal Election 2025: Greens reveal demands if Labor forms minority government