Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday the Prime Minister suggested that he would have no trouble convincing National Cabinet to create a public holiday should the Matildas make the World Cup finals. He said:

I'll be clearly putting the argument and I reckon they'll fold like tents. They will go one after the other.

'Fold like tents'—let's talk about tents. There are an ever-increasing number of people sleeping in tents currently—and in cars—and the problem is getting worse and worse. In my home town of Meanjin, or Brisbane, rents have skyrocketed. They're up by 23 per cent on what they were a year ago. My office has received countless calls and emails from people seeking housing support, all reporting that they are one of the 82 per cent of people that the Everybody's home report says are in rental stress, just one rent rise away from sleeping in a tent. Women are choosing to stay in violent and controlling relationships rather than fleeing into homelessness. They don't want their children spending cold winter nights in a tent, so they stay.

Well, the Greens stand with the 90 per cent of people polled who want the government to spend more money to directly build affordable housing like we saw with the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator. Let's see that every year—a direct build of housing. You've shown it can be done, so do it every year. We also stand with the 75 per cent of people who are calling for a national rent freeze and stronger renters' rights, coordinated through National Cabinet. Yet, on this matter of national importance, in the middle of an unprecedented rental crisis, the Prime Minister is saying that it's outside his power, that it would break the Federation, to negotiate with the states for a rent freeze. Public holidays are easily done, but a rent freeze—oh no, he can't do that. It is not good enough. Seventy-five per cent of people want a rent freeze. Eighty housing organisations are begging for it. It's time for the Prime Minister to get the job done.