Greens’ rent demands not met, threaten Anthony Albanese’s pre-budget plan

The Greens have outlined their demands to ensure their support for Anthony Albanese’s housing fund, with the list suggesting the key election promise is at risk.

The Greens won’t wave through one of Anthony Albanese’s key election promises unless the government agrees to freeze rents around the country for two years and spend more money on building public housing.

The minor party, and independent senators David Pocock and Lidia Thorpe, have lashed Labor for their unwillingness to budge on housing reform and rental assistance, meaning Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund, is unlikely to pass through parliament before the May budget.

Under the plan, the government would invest $10bn into the Future Fund – with an estimated $500m of annual returns to be spent on building 30,000 social and affordable houses in the first five years.

That would include 4000 properties for women and children facing family and domestic violence and older women at risk of homelessness.

The minor party and senators Pocock and Thorpe are strongly critical of the package in its current form, saying $500m a year would not build enough homes. The Greens also want the government to agree to a national two year freeze on rents.

The Greens have accused the government of playing politics, questioning how in the same austerity budget Labor can justify spending up to $368bn on a nuclear submarine deal, but not budge on a $500m annual spend on key housing infrastructure.

Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said the housing plan would “make the crisis worse, doesn’t guarantee a single cent on housing” and does “nothing for renters”.

A rally outside Parliament House calling for the Albanese Government to ramp up spending on its proposed housing reforms. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“The government need to take the housing crisis seriously,” he told a joint rally with the CFMEU outside Parliament House on Tuesday.

“The idea they can gamble $10bn of public money on Peter Costello’s future fund and say ‘oh, we’ll only spend the returns on housing’, when last year it lost $120m is a sick joke.

“How dare the Prime Minister refuse to negotiate in good faith as the Greens have proven we can do – to come to table and fix a plan that currently would only make the housing crisis worse.”

The Greens say they want a national two-year freeze on rent increases for “real relief”, at least $5bn directly spent on building new social and affordable houses, and a separate $1bn for First Nations housing.

“That is eminently reasonable when the government has just found $368bn for the nuclear submarines,” he said. 

As for how Mr Albanese could enforce a rent freeze, Mr Chandler-Mathers said it could be possible either via national cabinet, or as a condition of the next national housing and homelessness agreement.

“We just saw the federal government negotiate an energy price cap that required coordination with the states,” he said.

Housing Minister Julie Collins said the federal government didn’t have the constitutional levers to impose rent controls.

“The levers that we do have available to us are to help with supply of housing,” she said.

“We want to do it by having more affordable rentals on the ground and add to supply.”

Greens Leader Adam Bandt and housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather won’t support the Housing Australia Future Fund unless more is done for renters. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Their threats come after four peak housing and homelessness bodies called for the Senate to pass the legislation, saying vulnerable people couldn’t wait for the politicking to be done.

Kate Colvin, chief executive of Homelessness Australia, said the nation needed a “housing reset”, and acknowledged that while the package wasn’t perfect – it was a start.

“The package of laws before the parliament will not be enough to fix the housing crisis alone, but they are critical to kickstarting a longer term response,” she said.

“We need the planning, co-ordination and financing in place to make sure this is the last housing crisis we face and for that reason, it’s important that the Housing Australia Future Fund, Housing Australia and other key bodies get going now.”

Senator Lidia Thorpe delivered a passionate address to a protest outside Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Thorpe said the PM’s plan was “dodgy” and likened it to gambling. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Senator Pocock said the Labor government could – and needed to – do better than the deal they were offering.

“The Commonwealth government has a very long history of building social, affordable housing in this country – and once again the Commonwealth government can step up and come to the table with policy,” he told the rally.

“That is the challenge we face. This is about looking after people in our communities who need that support.

“We need more ambition.”

Fellow independent, Senator Thorpe called the housing Bill “dodgy” and a “form of gambling”.

“Investing money and hoping for a return to build public housing – what a joke,” she said.

“We’re over this. And (we) need to demand this so-called friendly government … to start building more homes for our people.”

Housing Minister Julie Collins has pleaded for the Greens to be reasonable. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Collins earlier called for the Greens and other crossbenchers to be reasonable.

“The $10bn is the most significant investment by a federal government in social and affordable housing in more than a decade,” she told ABC Radio on Tuesday morning.

“It is very significant, and what I would say to the Greens and to other crossbenchers in the senate is that vulnerable people cannot afford for this to delay.

“If their response is ‘it’s our way or zero’, I mean, that is just unacceptable when you’ve got vulnerable people on the ground who need housing today.”

Meanwhile, the CFMEU – traditionally a strong supporter of Labor – has criticised the plan.

National secretary Zach Smith joined a rally alongside the Greens, saying he and his members were proud to take a stand for affordable housing.

“We need $290bn for the next two decades to deal with the issue of homelessness in Australia,” he said.

“What this plan will deliver is half a billion per annum at best. It’s just not enough. We need to see a serious level of funding to deal with this issue, we need to be prepared to tackle this problem seriously and not throw a bucket of water on a bushfire.”

Originally published as Greens’ rent demands not met, threaten Anthony Albanese’s pre-budget plan