PRIME MINISTER Anthony Albanese has challenged the Greens to back a multi-billion dollar housing package or risk sending voters to an early election.<\/p>\n
The Government will reintroduced the stalled Housing Australia Future Fund when parliament resumed this week in a bid to break a Senate stalemate.<\/p>\n
The Greens and coalition pushed back debate of the $10 billion fund to October, but the Government will reintroduce the same bill to the lower house.<\/p>\n
The resurrected bill could serve as a double dissolution trigger if it’s rejected a second time, allowing the Government to call an early election.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister said an election would not be held in 2023, but urged opponents of the fund to back the bill.<\/p>\n
“The way in which you rule out having a double dissolution election is to have no triggers,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Quite clearly, we have a mandate for this, we want this to be passed.”<\/p>\n
The housing fund would aim to build 30,000 homes in five years with $500 million spent on affordable and social housing each year.<\/p>\n
But the Greens have opposed the legislation, saying they want more money and assistance for renters.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister said politics needed to be put aside to solve the national housing crisis.<\/p>\n
“It should be a no brainer,” Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n
Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather said the Government was refusing to budge.<\/p>\n
“We’re willing to negotiate but a negotiation takes two to tango and the government’s saying it’s their way or the highway,” he said.<\/p>\n
“When their way is hundreds of thousands more people waiting for public and affordable housing and millions of renters facing financial stress, that’s not a negotiation.”<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles downplayed suggestions the bill could be used as a double dissolution trigger.<\/p>\n
“This isn’t about elections, this is about getting more housing,” Mr Marles said.<\/p>\n
Acting Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Labor’s latest move on the housing bill showed arrogance.<\/p>\n
“The policy does not stack up and meanwhile their economy-wrecking approach is making it more and more expensive to build a home,” she said.<\/p>\n
“What we need now is an urgent plan to tackle inflation, not threats about an early election.”<\/p>\n
Property Council of Australia chief executive Mike Zorbas welcomed the reintroduction of the bill.<\/p>\n
“The Housing Australia Future Fund is the shot in the arm the nation needs to close the housing deficit,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The 30,000 new social and affordable houses that hang in the balance need to be green-lighted by all senators as soon as possible.”<\/p>\n
Opposition housing spokesman Michael Sukkar said the coalition would not support the bill when it’s brought back, likening it to a Ponzi scheme.<\/p>\n
“This is bad policy. This will not see one new home built this side of the next election,” he told Sky News.<\/p>\n
A construction union this week launched a major campaign for a super profits tax on Australia’s richest companies to pay for social housing, which the prime minister quickly ruled out.<\/p>\n