In what appears to be an early start to the battle for the seat of Richmond in 2025, Greens Candidate Mandy Nolan has responded to a tweet that the sitting Member for Richmond Justine Elliot posted last week – Nolan saying the tweet is inaccurate.
Nolan has called on Mrs Elliot to withdraw the misleading Twitter post involving a homeless man.
On Tuesday the Labor member tweeted a video extract from a news bulletin, saying ‘Watch this: A 67 year-old homeless man speaks on how he is affected by the Greens Party blocking social and affordable housing.’
However in the video the man makes no mention of the Greens, and the Labor member has come under strong criticism from the public on line.
Misleading and should be withdrawn
‘Justine Elliot’s tweet is misleading and should be withdrawn with an apology to the homeless person involved,’ says Nolan, who is pushing for strong solutions to the ‘housing emergency’.
Nolan says unlimited rent rises should be made illegal, and the nationally coordinated rent freeze the Greens are pushing for can work to improve the lives of millions of Australians. With Labor in power in every mainland state and territory, the Greens are calling for the Prime Minister to put $1bn on the table to incentivise state governments to enact a two-year freeze on rents, with ongoing rent caps thereafter.
‘Outrageous rent increases are hurting our kids and our grandchildren, from Ballina to the Tweed. Labor’s housing plans don’t match the scale of this housing emergency, and that’s why the Greens are promoting real solutions.
Is Labor doing enough?
Nolan says the national Essential Media poll this week found 68 per cent of Australians don’t think Labor is doing enough to ensure ‘affordable and secure rentals’. ‘Last month a poll found 60 per cent support for a freeze on rental increases.
‘Rent freeze and caps work, in Australia and around the world. They are working in the ACT, where the Greens have shared power, and they are working in Scotland, which froze rents last year and now has a 3 per cent cap on rent increases.’
‘Every person forced out of their home by a huge rent rise is another person fighting to put a roof over their head in a worsening rental market, and potentially one more person added to the back of a ten year long social housing waitlist. If you make unlimited rent rises illegal, it will help slow the growing demand for social housing,’ says Nolan.
65 per cent of tenants in rental stress
‘Figures from research firm Digital Finance Analytics show the rates of Australian renters in financial stress has risen dramatically in the last year, and that a staggering 65 per cent of tenants are now in rental stress.
‘Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund does not pay out a cent until 2024-5, and offers just $500m of the $15bn required to fix the housing crisis. With a budget surplus of over $4bn, the Greens want Labor to provide $2.5bn a year to social and affordable housing. The Greens have already successfully pushed Labor to immediately provide $2bn to the states for affordable housing.’
Desperate attempt to divert attention
Sitting member Justine Elliots says this is another desperate attempt to divert attention from her party’s destructive actions in the Federal Parliament. ‘Greens Party candidate Mandy Nolan has now resorted to highlighting her party’s Twitter attacks on me. This proves that the Greens are more focused on social media, than fixing the housing and homelessness crisis. They need to back Labor’s Housing Bill or get out of the way.
‘A homeless man telling his story, and why he needs housing now, is exactly why the Greens political party must pass Labor’s housing legislation – which, contrary to false claims (lies) from the Greens Party, will allow housing to be built immediately.
Not too worried about the comments
‘Honestly, I’m not too worried about the comments from Melbourne based trolls on Twitter. They need to get off their keyboards and start actually helping people who are homeless – and a good way to do that would be to contact Greens Party MPs, councillors, and candidates, urging them all to set aside their political agendas and join with Labor and the ‘Teal’ independents in backing this important housing bill.
‘Every single day, $1.3 million is delayed from going into social and affordable housing because the Greens Party is blocking Labor’s $10 billion Housing Fund in Parliament. This fund is the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in a decade. Disgracefully, the Greens are blocking it – along with the Liberals, Nationals, and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
Extremely disappointing
‘It’s extremely disappointing that Mandy Nolan’s Greens Party colleagues are delaying the building of 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes for people in need.
‘It’s disgraceful that, while locals are living in cars, and women and children fleeing domestic violence have nowhere to go, candidate Mandy Nolan and her Greens Party colleagues are playing political games to try to win votes.
‘As the Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, I’m on the ground speaking to people and groups involved and working hard to get this Bill passed.
‘In terms of rents, locals know that the Federal Government does not constitutionally have the power to implement a rent freeze. It is a matter for states, and those claiming otherwise are lying. It’s also important to note that data and evidence cited by the Greens tell us this policy would not improve affordability and would mean less rentals in the future.
Labor Party builds houses
‘The fact is at all levels of government, the Labor Party builds houses, and the Greens Party blocks them. The Greens Party is the reason people can’t find a safe place to call home on the North Coast. Our community is desperate for housing and the Greens Party needs to either back the Bill or just get out of the way.’
Nolan says we are in a housing emergency. People from Mullumbimby to Murwillumbah are struggling to pay their rents and struggling to pay their mortgages, while big banks, developers and Airbnb are making a mint.’
Rents will go up another 10 per cent
‘If we don’t act now, according to the Reserve Bank rents will go up another 10 per cent in the coming year, more and more people will struggle to cope and many could be evicted –that’s why the Greens are pushing Labor for a rent freeze and why we secured a national inquiry into the rental crisis.’
The Senate Committee on The worsening rental crisis in Australia has now started and is taking public submissions until July 28.
Nolan says the Greens are calling for Labor to act to help renters, as part of negotiations on the Government’s housing bill, which will return to the Senate on October 16.
Nolan says she is is within 1.8 per cent of winning Richmond, a seat Labor has held for almost 20 years.
It’s completely obvious that the Greens voting with the LNP to obstruct urgent funding for the housing will have an enormous impact, especially now in winter! The Greens should be ashamed of voting with the obstructionist Dutton LNP! Who do they think they are, Hanson’s One Nation party! Perhaps Mandy should distance herself from this constant confrontation style politics, perhaps she’s taking to much advise from her National party advisor?
While Greens comments on the Labour Future Fund are accurate – a Future Fund invested in the stock market can go up or down in value, that the housing construction budget of the Fund is limited to $M50 per year ( and that $M50 doesnt appear to equate to the numbers of houses projected), stats identify that the number of houses built for $M50 wont even keep up with the increasing number needed, etc, but none the less invested Future Funds have done well overseas, and creating a Future Fund doesnt preclude other actions. Greens attempt to ‘horse trade’ the Bill is a time honored practice, and good on them trying to get a better outcome, but it would be unfortunate to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
A couple of things with this. Justine Elliot will use any ruse to get her point across and gain traction to keep the seat of Richmond. It is generally the State Government who has the responsibility for delivering Social Housing.
My husband and myself had two investment properties (our superannuation fund), we wanted 12 month leases with an annual drent rise not exceeding the CPI, the Real Estate Agents, initially, would not do this saying 6 monthly leases with increases each 6 months, the threat of moving our business got what we wanted.
I believe the housing situation, especially the rising rents lies at the feet of Real Estate Agents, supply of rental properties has been caused by Airbnb, Stayz and other short term rental businesses. People we know rented their home as Airbnb for 3 weeks and earned $15000.00.
Local Councils, especially here in regional/rural NSW also have responsibility to ensure land that has been approved for housing is developed in a timely fashion. In Tweed there are 34,000 housing blocks that have been approved and have been sitting undeveloped for 25 years or more.
A couple of things here, Mandy Nolan will use any ruse available to get her point across and gain traction to help win the seat of Richmond, but her inexperience and total lack of knowledge, especially on this issue is blatantly obvious. Yes it is largely the State premiers who have the power to implement and manage housing policy, and they are virtually united in their opposition to implementing rent freezes or caps, citing that it could force rents even higher. Another pie in the sky “policy” from the Greens is to freeze homeowner mortgage interest rates, again an area that is the responsibility of an independent Reserve Bank, so how a minor party that has absolutely no chance of ever being elected to Govt could force major changes to the Reserve Bank is a total mystery. If the irresponsible Greens actually wanted to help renters and homebuyers, they would immediately stop grandstanding in the Senate and pass the Labor Govt’s Affordable Housing Bill, it might not be perfect but it would be a great start.
You contradicted yourself in your own comments. You said rising rents “lay at the feet of realestate agents”. Then you gave a précis of your own experience with realestate agents, stating in words to the effect, that if the realestate agent didn’t follow your wishes in regard to 12 monthly rent increases in line with CPI of two investment properties you own, you would take your business elsewhere. The realestate agent relented and followed your wishes. Therefore rising rents obviously ‘lay at the feet of landlords’. As it was you, the landlord, who dictated how much, and when, the rent on your two investment properties would rise.
P.S. Justine Elliot is an oxygen thief. Mandy Nolan, I would give her the time of day.
It sounds like you are well adept in inhaling vast amounts of precious oxygen and exhaling vast amounts of hot air yourself Mark.
You didn’t read carefully. Marianne actually wrote “not exceeding the CPI” and 12 months rather than six months. Which period would you prefer for rent increases?
I am a bit mystified by what ruse she is referring to. I can’t see where she has denied the role of state government.
Typical ALP lies. The Australian Landlords Party are using the homeless and the precarious rental market, as well as their mass immigration ponzi/GDP scam, as a means of pushing up the market values of their own personal property portfolios. I commend the Greens for trying to amend the ALP’s pathetic housing policy into something that might actually make a difference. As it stands now the ALP’s HAFF won’t even accommodate their own immigration rate.
If it were up to me, nobody would be allowed to own more than two properties.
Why does this paper allow Mandy Nolan to work for it as well as be the subject of this article. Surely the echo has a conflict of interest as Nolan is using the paper for free publicity. Mandy quit the paper and get an office so that you can campaign for the next election. What you are doing at the moment is appalling.
And would you be prepared to pay her a salary from the public purse while she campaigns for the Greens KD?
No conflict at all . Both are dark Green.
With hundreds of thousands of families under severe housing distress, ALPs answer is to build 30,000 homes over 5 years. That’s about 2 dwellings for every town, city and suburb in the country. Over 5 years! Pathetic.
Yes Brefney, absolutely. Labor should be able to instantly provide “hundreds of thousands” of new affordable and/or social houses by the end of the year. Let’s forget:
A decade’s backlog
A severe labour and materials shortage in the building industry
A huge debt leftover from Covid (a lot going where it wasn’t needed and a lot exacerbating the building industry’s problems)
An international inflationary cycle that works well for the well heeled but not so much for ordinary punters.
I won’t disagree that the situation is urgent but what is more important – getting a start and an ongoing source of funding or grandstanding to build a profile of being the “party of renters” by holding out for a two year rent freeze and another two years of likely below CPI caps?
The Greens need either to do the same level of research for their policy implications as they do their focus groups, demographic shifts and electoral opportunities, or be a bit more upfront about the reality of the situation.
Mandy 5000%!
Housing, we know how genuine this wretched ALP mob is.
Flood Victims still left behind despite those immortal words, ” no one left behind, no one held back”. After that presser on the Northern Rivers 27/10/2022 at which the Justine appeared with PM Albanese, it best that the Justine stop attracting attention to the ongoing ALP fail.
Just like we saw with the ALP following the Greens housing lead by announcing that from out of nowhere $’s2billions Social Housing Accelerator business ( well done the Greens for making it happen!} we know how action dealing with the Rental Crisis Issue will eventuate, the “everything is impossible until its not” ALP announcing the adoption of the Greens Rent measures – the Greens leading, is the only time Albo gets off his couch and does something.
How did the Greens make it happen, Joachim? They’re still posturing for what they want. You don’t think it might have something to do with the better surplus figures that were emerging?
My God foghorn Joachim at it again, anyone reading this nonsense must be thinking that the Greens are actually in Govt LOL, the only thing the Greens are doing at present is obstructing Govt and opportunistically claiming responsibility for every Labor initiative, next the Greens will be claiming responsibility for the sun rising on Canberra every morning.
Yes I’ve just watched it – thanks for drawing our attention to it Eve and Mandy. Not a good look for the Greens so I’m not surprised it’s caused some consternation. Look the man interviewed might not say it all but the commentary does and it’s pretty accurate. That the guy doesn’t mention the Greens is no big deal – we all know who’s blocking the funding so pretty desperate to nit pick about this. The Libs, Nats and ON are no surprise on this one. But the Greens, mob who pontificate and are supposed to care?
They want a rent freeze and want to grandstand on this while building is held up.
How attractive this must sound to potentially uninformed but desperate renters. 60% of people think it would be a good idea to freeze rents. I’m sure at least 60% of people think motherhood is good too.
How despicable to suggest that federal Labor can just make all the states do it or change the constitution to give themselves the power. What a populist thought bubble for a party whose sole research involves studying the electoral demographics and building themselves an opportunistic profile by making the right unrealistic policies. A thought bubble without any other investigation or analysis of implications and repercussions.
How many more “news” items like this can we expect before the next election?
Let’s just face it:
1. The greens are voting with the noalition to block money for affordable housing
2. The greens want a rental freeze federally which is not allowed under our constitution( state responsibility)
3. The greens want more housing but oppose housing developments
So where does that leave us? Up the creek courtesy of the greens( think of their moral high ground on carbon credit schemes leading to a decade of climate inaction by the coalition)
Neither of them should be elected in the next Election.
Simple really.
A genuine independent is needed!
Anyone working in housing/homelessness on the Tweed understands that Labor’s promises simply aren’t good enough. Infact, they’re not even close.
Cammie, Labor’s promises are a hell of a lot better that the useless mob we just got rid of, you probably are never going to get enough money to fix a decade of sheer neglect in one term, at least Labor is not making undeliverable promises and taking unfair advantage of struggling renters and home mortgage payers like the unscrupulous Greens for political gain.