Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Nine months ago, when this bill was introduced and the Greens stood up here and refused to just roll over and support it, we faced a torrent of noise and abuse from the Labor members in this House—although, I would say, with the notable exception of the Minister for Housing. It was overwhelming. We stood up here and we said a few things. There was no direct investment in public and community housing. It didn't guarantee a cent in public and affordable housing. We stood up and we fought, and now, today, there is $3 billion of direct investment in public and community housing as a result of the Greens pressure, as a result of the Greens fighting.

How many times did Labor members get up in this place and have a go at the Greens for fighting for more? How many times did Labor members get up in this place and say, 'No, that's all that we're going to offer'? How many times did the government shift as a result of the Greens pressure: when we got the guaranteed $500 million, when we got the $2 billion for the Social Housing Accelerator, when we got the extra $1 billion—and every time, every time in the lead-up to that, we were told there was no more. The Greens are happy about getting $3 billion of direct investment in public and community housing, because that is real, direct money going to build public and community homes. There will be tens of thousands of people that will get a home because the Greens stood up and fought.

The other thing we talked about is the one-third of this country who rents. We made the point again and again and again: rents are going up at the fastest rate in 35 years. We got up and we said at the start of this the federal government could coordinate freezes and caps on rents. We were told it was impossible. And then all of a sudden things shifted. All of a sudden, for the first time in the history of this country, at least since post World War II, National Cabinet was forced to meet and talk about renters' rights. We went from a situation where the Prime Minister got up and called rent caps 'pixie dust' to a situation where National Cabinet was sitting around the table, every premier and first minister, chaired by the Prime Minister, and was forced into admitting it was in fact possible.

And then what did they do, when the Greens had campaigned so hard that 74 per cent of the country now support rent increases? What did they do, while rents were going up at the fastest rate in 35 years? What did they do, as we sat through rental inquiries? In one situation, I remember, we heard a 30-year-old doctor going through Stage IV breast cancer treatment begged her real estate agent not to evict her because her immune system was low and asked for an extra two months on that lease, and the real estate agent issued her an eviction notice in response. What did the government do when we gave them that opportunity to freeze and cap rents, when even 58 per cent of coalition supporters now support a cap on rent increases? They instead locked in unlimited rent increases, and not a single renter in this country should ever forgive them for that.

The promise I want to make every renter across the country, watching this at home, is: this fight has just begun. After nine months, there is now a supermajority of people who support caps and freezes on rent increases. We're seeing Germany now contemplating a three-year freeze on rent increases. We've seen Scotland, Spain and countries across the world capping and freezing rent increases. Let me be very clear. There is going to be a time in this place when a Greens member will stand up and celebrate a freeze and cap on rent increases, and it will be the result of the hard work and fight of hundreds of thousands of renters across this country.

The message I want to send to you at home is: so often the political and media establishment in this place try to create a separation between what happens here and your lives at home. But the only way, the only reason we have this $3 billion, the only reason we got the $500 million guarantee, is not just the work in this place; it's that thousands of you stood up and fought. Thousands of you stood up and fought. You knocked on doors, you went to rallies—all things, by the way, that the government attacked us for doing, and the reason they attacked us is they are terrified of what happens when ordinary renters find their voice.

Let me be very clear: they are just starting to find their voice, and over the next few years and over the next few months you're going to see what happens when one-third of this country stands up and fights back against a system that sees property investors get $39 billion a year in tax concessions while renters basically get nothing. Nine months of Greens pressure got $3 billion. Let's see what happens when we really start to mobilise and the Labor government realise that they can't keep turning their backs on the one-third of this country who rents.

We've seen across the world what happens when ordinary people get together and organise. They wield real power and they get real results, and that's exactly what's going to happen in Australia. There's going to be a moment in Australian history when finally renters get to live with dignity. Finally renters will get to live with dignity and basic laws and get to live in this country as first-class citizens, not second-class citizens. That will be a great day indeed.

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