The Greens have been circulating a policy letter to householders in Richmond signed by David Shoebridge and Mandy Nolan, stating ‘they are fighting for renters and home mortgagees’.
While their claims on this flyer have the usual altruistic fervour, they must know that the states govern policy in these areas, making their claims on this issue false. Their opportunistic intent of course, is to appeal to those unfortunate enough to be struggling to find or afford housing. But they offer nothing – a cruel hoax.
The federal Labor government is actively working to increase social and affordable housing stock as we speak, with or without the Greens’ support. The Housing Future Fund, which is separate from current efforts underway to increase housing stock, is a mechanism that will provide future funds in perpetuity, to facilitate the building of social and affordable housing and can be increased in the future.
Surprise, surprise!, the Greens have rejected it in the Senate, no change in tactics there. Just like they blew up the first big chance we had under a previous Labor government’s Emissions Trading Scheme (CPRS), because it wasn’t perfect enough for the Greens, their intransigence set Australia back a decade on meaningful, timely action on reducing global warming.
Marketing a bag of magic solutions, none of which are viable, deliverable or effective might appeal to some, but the Greens must come clean. Their claim to freeze interest rates is also a hoax because the Reserve Bank sets interest rates and is independent of government.
It’s unclear how the Greens expect people to believe they can wield so much influence. Mandy Nolan’s popular, comedic appeal is no substitute for pragmatic policy experience and David Shoebridge should know better than to appeal to this electorate’s fears with ‘snake oil’ remedies.
Keith Duncan and Helen Cust
Ballina Branch NSW Labor
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
