Anthony Albanese blasted for caring more about missiles than people in poverty, Greens say

The Prime Minister has been blasted for a move that one politician claims could lead many to abandon Labor in droves.

Adam Bandt has sensationally accused Anthony Albanese of caring more about missiles and tax cuts for the well-off than Australians struggling with the cost of living.

In his address to the National Press club on Wednesday, the Greens leader put the Prime Minister on blast for not acting on two reviews that called for an increase to certain welfare payments.

He said that people in his electorate were sleeping in tents because they couldn’t afford rent and his office was trying to find homes for “pregnant women who are couch surfing”.

“I’m just furious that the government says that there’s a quarter of a trillion dollars for stage three tax cuts and $368bn for nuclear submarines but can’t commit to lifting single parents and people with a disability out of poverty,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Greens leader Adam Bandt took aim at the Prime Minister in his address. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“I want to hear less talk about missiles and more about fixing the rental and housing crisis and building an adequate number of public housing so that everyone in this country has a place to live.”

His long list of grievances with Mr Albanese also included his refusal to negotiate its $10bn social housing fund with the Greens.

The minor party wants the government to incentivise the states to implement a two-year rent freeze, wind back the capital gains tax break and landlords’ interest deductions, boost rent assistance and build over 200,000 publicly owned homes.

Mr Bandt has threatened to vote down the Housing Australia Future Fund – one of Labor’s key election promises – should the Prime Minister refuse to engage.

He said renters, who the Greens have been handing out flyers to while they wait for property inspections, will soon abandon Labor and the Liberals in droves.

“The Prime Minister needs to understand this isn’t an inner Sydney council meeting and a chance to get even with the Greens,” Mr Bandt said.

“There is a full blown nationwide rental crisis and it must be confronted.”

Mr Albanese said the Greens position was ‘illogical’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

But Mr Albanese insists he is not for turning on the fund and claimed Mr Bandt’s shirt front was “completely illogical”.

“They have caught this bizarre disease of just saying no to everything without any rational explanation,” he told reporters in Sydney.

“I would say to the Greens political party, they're entitled to vote whatever way they want but they will be held to account for it and any of their rhetoric about housing issues will be regarded as just farcical if they vote against this fund.”

The conflict comes as six Labor backbenchers broke ranks to join with academics, business leaders and advocates to campaign for a substantial increase in Jobseeker.

A raise to the rate to $68 a day, which would come at a $24bn cost to the budget over the four-year forward estimates period, was a key recommendation from the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers again hosed down expectations of a rate increase and assured there would cost of living relief in the budget which will be handed down on May 9.