Greens 'failing the public' on housing fund: Albanese

May 15, 2023 02:30 AM BST | By AAPNEWS
 Greens 'failing the public' on housing fund: Albanese
Image source: AAPNEWS

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused the Greens of failing the public on housing following stalled negotiations on a multibillion dollar housing fund.

The $10b Housing Australia Future Fund remains stuck in parliament, with both the coalition and the Greens not backing the proposal.

The fund would see 30,000 new social and affordable homes built in the next five years, but the Greens have urged more immediate action to solve the housing crisis, including a rent freeze.

While the Greens have hit out at the fund, saying it would be gambling money on the stock market to pay for housing, the prime minister said the party was grandstanding.

"The Greens political party would rather posture than vote for what is before the parliament. They need to explain that contradiction," Mr Albanese told reporters in Adelaide on Monday.

"I've seen some of the absurd comments speaking about gambling. If that is the case ... they must be horrified at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and what it does, they must be terrified about superannuation."

The Greens have urged that $1.6b in funding be doubled for state and territory governments, with the money to be used as part of rent freeze measures.

Mr Albanese said talks were ongoing with jurisdictions about funding arrangements.

"This is the Greens failing the public. This is the gap that is there with the Greens political party between their rhetoric and their delivery."

Housing Minister Julie Collins urged for opponents of the bill to "get out of the way".

"There are too many people in Australia that are relying on those homes, there are too many Australians that are doing it tough that need us to get on with the job," she told ABC TV.

"We're working as collaboratively as we can with the states and territories and also with local government as part of the national housing accord."

It follows concerns from the opposition not enough housing infrastructure would be in place to support the estimated 1.5 million migrants set to come to the country during the next five years.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said there was no new housing stock that would support the intake.

"When you find it hard at the moment to get a rental or you find it hard to buy a house, that problem is just going to be compounded many times because Labor is not producing any more stock into the system," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"The fact is that they are making it harder for Australians who want to rent a home, who want to buy a home."

The comments coincide with the release of a new report by the Business Council of Australia, which has recommended national housing targets be tied to population.

The council said a lack of supply in the housing market and not migration had fuelled issues in the sector.

The report said the targets should lead to actions state or territory governments could take to meet demand.

Under the proposal, jurisdictions that meet housing targets would get financial incentives, while those that don't would be penalised.

But shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said there was little in the federal budget for housing.

"We strongly believe in immigration is an important part of the policy mix in this country, it's been a huge part of the success of this nation, but it can't be unplanned," he said.


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