The Greens appear relentless in their targeting of the marginal seat of Richmond, with a second federal MP visiting the region in as many weeks for an election promise.
Greens leader Adam Bandt was on the Northern Rivers last week, only a couple of weeks after Max Chandler-Mather’s media conference in the Tweed Shire to announce a new affordable housing apartment block.
The project at the old Telstra depot at Tweed Heads will be built by a new national publicly owned housing developer, Mr Chandler-Mather said, if The Greens win enough votes for balance of power in next year’s federal election.
The Greens’ vision of a revived Australian housing commission came with costings from the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating the costs of building 610,000 social housing dwellings at almost $28 billion, including land purchases.
Mr Chandler-Mather said the spending would be largely off-set by scrapping tax breaks for property investors in the form of negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts.
Six free health clinics for Richmond, promises Bandt
Mr Bandt was in the Richmond electorate last week, promising improvements to federally sponsored public health services.
The Greens issued a media release prior to his visit saying there were only four fully bulk-billing GP clinics in the electorate and that the average out of pocket cost for a GP appointment has risen to $40.89.
‘Meanwhile, the number of people delaying or skipping GP appointments across the country due to cost has doubled in recent years, and millions are missing out on essential healthcare as a result,’ the release read.
The party says if it wins enough votes next year, it will make sure there are six free local healthcare clinics in Richmond.
Three of the clinics would be located in the Tweed shire, two in the Ballina shire and one in the Byron shire.
‘This will save the average individual in Richmond up to $1,686 a year in medical bills,’ the announcement read, ‘while the average household in Richmond could save up to $4,047’.
Mr Bandt said The Greens would also triple the bulk-billing incentive for everyone with a Medicare card.
A 20% increase to Medicare patient rebates for longer appointments was also promised.
‘Robin Hood’ reforms
The Greens described the public health incentives as part of their ‘Robin Hood’ reforms, to be ‘paid for by taxing big corporations that are profiting off price gouging during a cost of living crisis’.
Mr Bandt was clear about the party’s focus on Richmond and candidate Mandy Nolan, saying ‘voters in Richmond will have a clear choice this election’.
‘They can vote for more of the same or they can vote for someone who will fight for them to see the GP for free,’ he said.
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