Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

While some MPs grandstand on social media, the truth is that Labor is the only party committed to genuine housing reform. The Greens political party talk about housing but then block housing projects in their own electorates. They are a hypocritical cliche. Right now the Greens are blocking more homes for the rental market and 40,000 Australians from home ownership, all in the name of fantasy rent freezes.

What exactly is the evidence on rent freezes? The Guardian, formerly the home of the magnificent Amy Remeikis, says, 'All experts Guardian Australia spoke to said this would not be sensible in Australia.' The Australian Financial Review concurred, saying, 'Economists from Left to Right agree it would make things worse by squeezing housing supply.' The Productivity Commission stated, 'Rent control is not an effective way to improve affordability for renters.'

The study the Greens cited as their grand evidence of how good rent freezes are concluded there was no significant difference in affordability for renters. Maybe it's this complete policy illiteracy that has the party of whingeing puritans faltering on their own insane ideas. Is the fact that only 20 per cent of Greens voters support them blocking Labor's legislation why the party of populism is now running scared? In politics, second chances are hard to come by, but we're giving the Greens one more chance to do the right thing by Australians. We need builders, not blockers. We need workers, not whingers. It's time to back Labor's housing legislation in the Senate.

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