Anthony Albanese hasn’t ruled out calling a double dissolution election if Labor fails to resolve its stalemate with the Greens over the $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund.
The Prime Minister put the ball in the Greens’ court on Sunday after a week of ugly debate in parliament, saying the government would “wait and see” what the minor party did next.
The solicitor-general last week advised the government its troubled housing Bill had officially failed to pass parliament and a second flop would be grounds for a double-dissolution election.
Mr Albanese told Sky News he remained committed to getting the HAFF through parliament but wouldn’t rule out fighting an early election of both houses of parliament over the issue.
“I firmly believe that government should serve their full term, that’s my starting position,” he said.
“But we will wait and see what the Greens political party choose to do.”
The government commissioned the advice from the solicitor-general after the Coalition and Greens voted to defer debate on the HAFF Bill until October 16.
It was the second time the Greens had teamed up with the Liberals and Nationals to delay the legislation after taking similar action in May.
A double dissolution election would risk both Labor’s majority in the House of Representatives and the Greens’ powerful position in the Senate.
It would also mean Australians could vote in the Voice to parliament referendum and to elect the 47th parliament before the end of this year.
The $10bn HAFF was one of Labor’s signature election promises but it is teetering on the brink of failure because the Greens are refusing to support it in its current form.
The government needs the votes of the Greens and at least two additional crossbenchers to pass legislation through the Senate without the Coalition’s support.
If the Bill passes, it would set up a new investment vehicle to raise money for social and affordable housing projects through the commonwealth Future Fund.
The Albanese government has pledged $10bn in initial investment with a promise of 30,000 new homes to be built over the next five years.
Defying pleas from the community housing sector and the states and territories to pass the HAFF, the Greens are holding out for a nationwide cap or freeze on rent increases.
While the government has made some changes to the policy in an effort to get key crossbenchers on side, Mr Albanese on Sunday tried to portray the Greens’ requests for renters as unrealistic.
Mr Albanese said he was “interested” in “renters’ rights” and was working on the issue with the states and territories through national cabinet.
But he insisted the state premiers and chief ministers were focused on increasing housing supply as “the key to fixing affordability” rather than rent controls.
“I’m sure that if you said to people that free rent should occur, then that would be popular,” he said.
“The job of decision makers is actually to put in place measures that make a difference And all of the advice is that what we need to do is to secure supply.”
Labor abandoned its more ambitious housing affordability policies such as limiting negative gearing and halving capital gains tax discounts after its crushing defeat at the 2019 election.