Teal MP Allegra Spender has urged the Coalition and Greens to put political differences aside and support the Labor government’s proposed housing policies.
“The Coalition and the Greens need to back the bills for rent and shared equity schemes that are before the parliament because they actually solve real problems for real people,” she told the National Press Club on Oct. 23.
Labor has been trying to pass two bills—Help to Buy, and Build to Rent—but has failed to receive the support of the Greens and Coalition in the Senate.
The Help to Buy Bill proposes a shared equity scheme to help low-income individuals and families enter the housing market. The government would pay up to 30 percent of the purchase price for existing homes and 40 percent for new homes.
She further added that the Coalition needs to stop fighting housing targets and instead work on how to deliver them.
“Targets create accountability, and 1.2 million homes aren’t even enough for what we need.”
On Oct. 22, Coalition Leader Peter Dutton said Australia’s early retirees could be incentivised to re-enter the workforce and help alleviate housing demands.
“We can access a workforce that’s readily available here in Australia now, and that includes people who have retired early but want to come back into the workforce,” Dutton told ABC radio.
Currently, if an early retiree starts earning enough income that their pension entitlements drop to zero, the age pension can be suspended. If the person’s income drops again, it can usually be reinstated within two years.
“People can’t work more than a day or a few hours a week before it affects their pension, but if we can change that, it could be a significant part of the solution,” he said.
Meanwhile, Spender also stated that Labor needs to demonstrate seriousness in dealing with the CFMEU by supporting a new construction regulator. CFMEU was put under administration in Aug. after persistent complaints.
“We won’t unlock supply until we improve construction and productivity. If you want to talk about productivity in the construction industry, it’s gone down by 19 percent in the last 10 years.”
The cited a recent Redbridge survey revealing that only 15 percent of Australians believe home ownership is attainable for young people today without family assistance.
“Less than 1 in 10 believe that the standard of living in Australia will be better off for the next generation,” she stated, highlighting the generational disparity in opportunities.
