Press conference details:

Where: Gladys Street Park, Stones Corner (Parking at Max Chandler-Mather’s office, 76 Old Cleveland Rd)

When: 11.30am, Thursday 26 September

Who:

• Max Chandler-Mather MP for Griffith, Federal Greens Housing Spokesperson 
• Amy MacMahon MP for South Brisbane, Queensland Greens Housing Spokesperson

Contact: Nicole Laffoley 0434 477 345

Yesterday it came out that Queensland Labor is considering introducing rent caps and Federal Labor is considering changes to negative gearing.

Labor is under massive pressure from the Greens in the lead up to both the Queensland State Election and Federal Election. 

Amy MacMahon MP:

“Make no mistake, the only reason Labor is finally considering something they’ve opposed for years is because they’re under massive pressure from the Greens this election.

“No one is a more effective fighter for renters than the Greens. Imagine what we can win for renters if we get a massive bloc of Greens MPs elected this election.

Max Chandler-Mather MP

“First they mock you, then they fight you, then they adopt your policies, and the reality is Labor is now considering changes to negative gearing and rent caps because of Greens pressure.

Labor is utterly devoid of any meaningful vision for this country and the only way we’re going to win meaningful improvements to peoples’ lives is by growing the Greens movement and forcing concessions from Labor and the Liberals. That much is clear. “

Background

The Queensland Greens are on track to win six seats at the October poll including retaining South Brisbane and Maiwar and gaining McConnel, Cooper, Greenslopes and Miller, all of which have a high proportion of renters. They have been running massive field campaigns in all six of these seats.

The Australian Greens have repeatedly proposed reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts, including in negotiations on the Government’s housing bills currently before the house. The Greens have offered to pass the Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills if the Albanese Government considers limiting rent increases, creating a public developer to invest directly in building public housing, and/or phasing out negative gearing and capital gains tax discount. The Greens went to the 2022 election with a policy of phasing out negative gearing for landlords with more than one investment property, along with winding back the 50% capital gain tax discount. 

The Queensland Greens have long advocated for a limit on rent increases. In 2021 Amy MacMahon introduced the Greens’ Tenants Rights Bill, which would have limited rent increases to once every 24 months and by no more than CPI per year. Labor subsequently introduced an alternative bill to reform rental laws without limiting rent increases. In 2022 the Queensland Greens introduced the Rent Freeze Bill, which included a two-year freeze on residential rents followed by rent caps limiting increases to no more than 2% every two years. Labor and the LNP both refused to support the bill. 

The Queensland Greens’ plan for renters includes:

• Freeze rents for two years to allow wages to catch up
• Following the rent freeze, a permanent limit on rent increases at 1% per annum 
• Give renters a guaranteed right to a lease renewal
• Let renters make their house a home by increasing the notice period to refuse a lease renewal to 6 months