2024-05-13
The ACT Greens are calling on the Albanese Labor Government to use tomorrow’s budget to fix the housing crisis.
“In a housing crisis, governments need to be doing everything they can to bring more affordable, public homes into the territory,” said Deputy Leader of the ACT Greens Rebecca Vassarotti.
“In the ACT we need direct investment in public housing, and ACT Labor should be pushing their federal counterparts to make it happen.
“Right now the system set up by the Federal Government is stacked against people in Canberra, making it incredibly difficult for us to build more affordable homes, more quickly.
“The ACT Government is stuck repaying a historical housing debt of $82 million to the Federal Government, but the Greens want to reinvest that money cent for cent to build more comfortable, affordable and accessible public housing.
“To put it into perspective, the Federal Government is paying $368 billion for nuclear submarines, but they refuse to waive $82 million we could be using to give Canberrans a safe place to sleep.
“Canberrans are right to feel let down by Labor, who have the power to waive this debt, as they’ve done in Tasmania and South Australia."
The ACT Greens are also calling on the Albanese Government to fix the rigged tax system which prioritises the rich over everyday people, and instead become a partner in our plan to build and buy 10,000 public homes over ten years.
“Tax handouts for big property investors, like negative gearing, make it easier for a big property investor to buy their seventh property than for a first home buyer to buy their first home.
“To stop pushing up house prices and make homes affordable for first home buyers the ACT Greens will push for the Federal Government to limit negative gearing and capital gains tax handouts.”
“We will pressure the Federal Government to invest part of the money it makes from scrapping handouts to property investors towards our ambitious and achievable plan to build and buy 10,000 public homes in Canberra.”