2023-04-27
Greens Leader Adam Bandt and housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather have called for a national rent freeze to be implemented by the National Cabinet when they meet tomorrow.
With further reports today on the worsening housing and rental crisis and Mr Bandt’s rent and housing proposal announced at the National Press Club yesterday the Greens will continue their push for leadership from the Albanese government.
Attributable to Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP
“The PM must stop delaying and seize the opportunity to put a national rent freeze on tomorrow’s National Cabinet agenda and get on with implementing caps on rents.
“Rents are skyrocketing across the country, but the Prime Minister thinks a national rent freeze is too hard.
“Yesterday the Greens released a fully-costed plan to incentivise the states to freeze rent increases for two years to give wages a chance to catch up.
“A rent freeze is not just legally possible, it’s also politically possible. With the Greens’ support the government could pass a serious plan for renters through the parliament by July.
“One third of the country is renting. If the government doesn’t show up to National Cabinet tomorrow with a real plan for renters, they’re throwing renters across the country to the wolves of the private market.”
Attributable to Greens Housing spokesperson and member for Griffith Max Chandler-Mather MP
“One of the central demands in today’s Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot is national tenancy standards including national action on rent increases.
“Every day Labor refuses to coordinate a national freeze on rent increases via National Cabinet is another day a family will face eviction because they can’t afford the rent.
“With multiple investment properties maybe it’s hard for the Prime Minister to understand just how urgent this rental crisis is, but I encourage him to go to talk to renters and ask them what they think of freezing rent increases.
“The Prime Minister might call rent controls “pixie dust”, but for renters, a freeze on rent increases means staying in their home and not being evicted into homelessness.
“According to Anglicare, less than 1% of private rentals are affordable for someone on the minimum wage. That’s who this government is leaving behind.
“With rents predicted to increase even faster this year, either National Cabinet freezes rents, or hundreds of thousands of families will be pushed onto the streets and into their cars."