The Greens have doubled down on calls for major changes to the government’s multi-billion dollar housing fund, despite the prime minister suggesting political games were behind the stalemate.
Negotiations have stalled on the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which would finance the construction of 30,000 homes over five years for vulnerable Australians.
The Greens have called for further investment in public and community housing, along with a national rent freeze, with the bill not looking to pass parliament during the current sitting week.
Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said the government could not afford to place funds for future social housing on the stock market.
“We’re on the brink of another global financial crisis, and just at the moment when a global financial crisis hits is precisely when we need spending on housing,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“Under the government’s plan, when the next financial crisis hits, it’s precisely when that fund doesn’t generate an income, what we need is ongoing investment in housing.”
The government needs the support of the Greens plus two crossbenchers for the legislation to pass.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was on the Greens to explain their decision why they wanted to block the housing fund.
“I find it a rather bizarre argument that says what we want is more money, and therefore we’ll vote for no money,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“The Greens spokesperson on this issue seems to be more obsessed by the politics than outcomes.”
However, Mr Chandler-Mather said the government was failing to take the issue seriously at a time of a housing crisis.
“The Greens are willing to negotiate in good faith but real negotiations mean coming to the table, recognising the scale of the crisis and working together to fix it,” he said.
“It is not good enough for the federal government to say to the one-third of the country who rents ‘there’s nothing we can do for you’.”
Jacqui Lambie Network senator Tammy Tyrrell is pushing for a minimum of 1200 homes for her home state of Tasmania, saying a failure to secure the commitment is a deal breaker.
“Anything less than that is going backwards. It won’t go anywhere towards helping to solve our housing crisis,” she said.
“Homelessness in Tasmania is growing faster than in any other state. In five years time, another 1100 Tasmanians will be homeless.”
Cabinet minister Tony Burke said the government will continue to negotiate with the crossbench in good faith.
“When the situation is so acute, I don’t see how you can genuinely recognise the desperate need that we have for more social and affordable housing and vote against something that’s providing that,” he told ABC radio on Wednesday.
“We’re in this situation dealing with the crossbench the way we are because … the opposition have taken the view that they’ll just vote no.”
With ongoing negotiations, progression on the bill is not expected until the next sitting week which coincides with the handing down of the federal budget in May.
Housing Minister Julie Collins has previously warned people at risk of homelessness needed the policy up and running sooner rather than later.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said more borrowing to stand up the housing fund, together with the Labor government’s other policy-linked funds, would put pressure on the budget at a time when fiscal restraint was necessary.
“Spending right now, borrowing right now, that’s going to put pressure on households,” he told AAP.
– AAP
