Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s signature $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund is facing defeat in the Senate amid a crossbench revolt fuelled by warnings from experts that not enough is being done to avert a “perfect storm” rental and housing crisis. Source: The Australian.
The Greens, the Jacqui Lambie Network and David Pocock are threatening to block the Government’s HAFF plan unless Labor lifts its social housing targets and pumps billions more directly into affordable-housing projects.
The stand-off with crossbenchers comes as Industry Super Australia – representing the nation’s biggest industry funds, including AustralianSuper, Cbus, HESTA and Hostplus – warned that the Prime Minister’s five-year plan to build 30,000 new affordable homes would fail without an additional $10 billion capital injection.
Housing Minister Julie Collins is expected to negotiate amendments with key crossbenchers this week following the release of a Senate inquiry report into the HAFF on Wednesday.
The Albanese Government has eight sitting days this fortnight to push four key pieces of legislation through Parliament for its housing plan, the safeguard mechanism, the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund and the Voice referendum machinery.
Ms Collins said she was having constructive conversations with crossbenchers but warned that “standing in the way of this legislation” would risk new homes that were needed across the country.
“The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund is the single biggest investment from the federal government in social and affordable housing in more than a decade,” Ms Collins said.
Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said there were “a lot of people” angry that Labor could find $368 billion to spend on nuclear attack submarines “but can’t find a single extra cent to spend directly on public and affordable housing”.
FULL STORY
Anthony Albanese’s $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund facing defeat in the Senate (By Geoff Chambers and Simon Benson, The Australian)
