Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused the Greens of opposing a signature housing policy in order to boost social media followers and provide fodder for memes.
“They are the blockers, we are the builders,” Albanese said at Labor’s national conference in Brisbane.
“The Greens political party aren’t interested in solving the problem at all, they just want the issue, the campaign, the social media content.
“They revel in the hypocrisy of voting against affordable housing in the parliament, protesting against it in their electorate and then making memes calling for action.”
The Greens have recommitted to backing renters, who the minor party says have been left behind by despite planned reforms.
At a national cabinet meeting yesterday, Albanese, premiers and chief ministers agreed to rental market reforms, including limiting rent increases to once a year, and creating minimum rental standards.
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A nationwide policy will be developed requiring landlords to provide genuine, reasonable grounds for evictions.
The prime minister also offered a multibillion-dollar carrot to build new dwellings, announcing the construction of 1.2 million homes in the next five years, an increase of 200,000 dwellings from a previous target.
States and territories will be offered $15,000 for each new home they build from $3 billion in federal funding for 200,000 new dwellings.
A scheme to help 40,000 low-income families buy a home will start in 2024.
The Greens had opposed the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund and delayed debate on the bill until October, arguing a lack of support to renters.
AAP