Anthony Albanese refuses to deal with Greens over housing

Anthony Albanese is refusing to deal with the Greens over the government’s $10bn housing fund, as the minor party accuses the PriM of snubbing its request to meet in parliament this week.

​Anthony Albanese.

Anthony Albanese is refusing to deal with the Greens over the government’s $10bn housing fund, as the minor party accuses the Prime Minister of snubbing its request to meet in parliament this week.

On Monday Mr Albanese stared down the Greens’ demands to increase money for housing and to co-ordinate a national rent freeze through national cabinet but left open the prospect of a double-dissolution election if the bill failed.

Labor’s $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund is emerging as the sticking point in the government’s legislative agenda, as Mr Albanese makes moves to pass amendments to social welfare payments and oil and gas tax.

Mr Albanese said the government had already offered several concessions including that its $500m spend was a floor, not a ceiling, and that the funding would be distributed fairly across metropolitan areas and regions.

“It‘s just extraordinary that it’s been blocked,” Mr Albanese told ABC Radio Sydney. “The Greens don’t say that it’s bad policy, they just say we want more, therefore we’ll have nothing.

“We just put $2bn additional funding into social housing in June for the states and territories – $2bn, not one. And that will result in increased building of social and community housing.”

Mr Albanese raised the possibility of a double-dissolution election but said he would rather the bill be passed.

“I’d rather not have it,” Mr Albanese said. “I’d rather have this policy passed. But of course a double-dissolution trigger, what that does is it doesn’t necessarily provide for an early election, it could go into 2025.”

Labor will reintroduce its housing fund into the lower house this week but it will not go to a vote until October 16.

Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather accused Mr Albanese of snubbing the minor party after Mr Chandler-Mather asked to schedule a formal meeting with the Prime Minister but had yet to hear back.

“We expect that, you know, the bill might pass parliament and that we would be meeting with the government this week,” Mr Chandler-Mather said.

“Ultimately, though, after we reached out, the ball is in the government’s court. I would be surprised if they had decided they don’t want to negotiate at all.”

Mr Chandler-Mather said Mr Albanese would “rather threaten early elections than cough up a few extra billion dollars for public housing and do something for renters in the middle of the worst housing crisis we’ve seen in generations”.

The government has faced criticism from the Coalition and interest groups on soaring numbers of international students and migrants coming here as it faced a strapped housing market.

Last week Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union boss Zach Smith accused the government of being “way too timid” in its attempt to close the gap of 750,000 social and affordable dwellings needed across the country.

Deputy Greens leader Mehreen Faruqi on Monday accused Mr Albanese of threatening a double-dissolution election as a distraction from tackling the rental crisis.