‘Sick joke’: Greens say Labor housing plan ‘won’t touch the sides’ of urgent need

Labor’s plan to address the housing crisis “won’t even touch the sides”, the Greens’ housing spokesman says, as the minor party attacked new Housing Minister Clare O’Neil. Appearing on Sky News on Sunday, Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather called Labor’s housing plans a “sick joke”. “The new Minister claims she cares about people doing it tough,” he said. “Well, walk the walk, demonstrate you care and actually do something practical for the millions of people getting smashed.” The Greens MP recently wrote to new Housing Minister Clare O’Neil pushing the Greens’ key reform proposals such phasing out capital gains tax benefits and negative gearing, and rent freezes. The letter threatened the government would lose Greens party support on key legislation if change was not made. On Sunday, Mr Chandler-Mather said Ms O’Neil’s office had failed to meet with him concerning the letter. Rent freezes would “tank supply and drive up rents and make more people homeless” Ms O’Neil told The Australian in response this weekend. Mr Chandler-Mather contends Ms O’Neil’s expert advice on the housing market was coming from a group with a vested interest; the Property Council. Senate estimates revealed the Government’s proposed build-to-rent scheme would give property developers tax concessions, Mr Chandler-Mather said. He labelled Labor’s housing policies a “sick joke”, saying their plans “would not even touch the sides” of the housing crisis. The Greens’ proposals call for a two-year freeze on rent increases, and an ongoing cap on rent increases to be implemented through National Cabinet. The minor party also wants a commitment to build 710,000 new houses over 10 years which would be rented to low-income earners, or sold just slightly above build costs.