Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s key legislation that was lauded as a way to provide tens of thousands of social housing around Australia has faced another roadblock after the Greens’ motion to delay a vote on the bill until October succeeded.
The motion proposed by the Greens senate leader Senator Sarah Hanson-Young argued the delay would “allow time for the national cabinet to progress reforms to strengthen renters’ rights.”
Labor’s bid to vote on the bill on Tuesday was defeated.
Greens leader Adam Bandt has said the pressure is now on the prime minister and the Labor premiers to act on a rent freeze and limit rent increases.
“This is a test for Labor. It’s wall-to-wall Labor across the mainland, so rent rises are their responsibility,” Bandt said.
“For months, we have been calling for two things: real money on housing now, not after the next election, and action to limit soaring rents. For months Labor has said this was impossible. Over the weekend, Labor found an extra $2 billion (US$1.36 billion) to start going out the door in two weeks’ time, but they still won’t act on rent.
Labor Caves to Green Pressure
The senate deferral of HAFF comes after the federal government made key concessions to the bill, including dumping the $500 million (US$338 million) cap for earnings distributed to housing. It will now guarantee that a minimum of $500 million per year will be used to generate new housing from 2024-25.They also announced over the weekend a $2 billion injection into social housing investment across the country.
The Greens have lauded the concessions as demonstrations that the Albanese government can change the bill to meet all their demands and argue it is Labor’s fault that waiting lists for social housing will grow.
“After months of sustained pressure from the Greens, Labor caved and met the Greens’ demand for immediate direct funding to tackle the crisis, with a one-off $2 billion for housing and guaranteeing $500 million a year from 2024/25,” they said in a media release.
Advocates Call for the Greens to Stop Hardline Stance
However, housing advocates on Monday pleaded with the Greens to pass the Housing Affordability Future Fund (HAFF), saying it would be a “catastrophe” if they did not.Community Housing Industry Association Chief Executive Wendy Hayhurst has said that the government had moved so that the problematic cap on the fund’s spending was no longer in place, and it was time for it to move into law.
“We now have the foundation to build on, and time is marching on,” she said. “It’s time to see the legislation passed.”
Homelessness Australia chief executive Kate Colvin said the situation in Australia around housing and homelessness was a “catastrophe” and urged the Senate to pass the bill as quickly as possible.
“We need the housing that will be created by the housing legislation to get going,” she said.
Property Council of Australia chief executive Mike Zorbas echoed Colvin’s sentiments saying HAFF needed to be passed urgently.
Senators Accuse Greens of Harming Australians
The call from the advocates comes as crossbench senators Tammy Tyrrell said that the Greens, in refusing to pass the legislation, were harming the people who voted for them.“You’re harming people; you’re not allowing them to have a house into the future,” Tyrell said.
“They are the ones that are holding all of these people to ransom, and I think that’s a terrible thing.
“My message is to the Greens—support the Housing Australia Future Fund.
“At the end of the day, you’re hurting people ... if you’re here to hurt people, get out.”
