Anthony Albanese is to announce his government will reintroduce his stalled signature $10 billion affordable housing policy, setting up a potential double dissolution election trigger.
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In the face of entrenched opposition from both the Coalition, and more significantly the Greens, the Prime Minister is to announce in the federal electorate of Brisbane on Friday that Housing Minister Julie Collins will reintroduce the bill for the Housing Australia Future Fund investment vehicle in the lower house next week.
The seat of Brisbane is held by Greens MP Stephen Bates.
Mr Albanese is to say that the bill will be put to a vote in the House of Representatives in October, around the expected date for the Indigenous Voice referendum.
"Reintroducing this bill gives the Coalition and the Greens an opportunity to stop playing politics and support a $10 billion housing fund that the Australian people clearly need and support," the Prime Minister said in a statement.
"We're not giving up on Australians who need and deserve the security of a roof over their head."
In what has become an increasingly personal stoush with the Greens - in particular Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather - the Albanese government suffered its first major policy setback before the parliamentary winter break with the HAFF legislation failing to pass the Senate.
Both the government and the Greens have made significant concessions to pass the bill, which is designed to tackle the nation's housing crisis by funding the build of 30,000 new social and affordable homes over five years, but the stalemate remains.
The Albanese government has had legal advice the failure to pass constituted a rejection from the Senate. It has not released that advice.
The Coalition and Greens in June combined to vote to delay consideration of the bill until October 16, the Greens saying they wanted to see further action at national cabinet for renters.
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By reintroducing the bill next week and pushing towards a vote on the same legislation in the same term of Parliament with a three-month break, the government appears set on the path towards a potential trigger for a full House and Senate election.
"We will use every opportunity to deliver the social and affordable housing that this fund will provide. We will use every process available for this important legislation," Mr Albanese said.
Ms Collins said in the statement there cannot be any more delays to the Housing Australia Future Fund.
"The Greens and the Liberals should get out of the way and back this secure, ongoing pipeline of funding for social and affordable housing," the minister said in a statement.
"Every day of delay is $1.3 million less that can be spent on housing Australians in need. We cannot afford any further delays."
Key crossbenchers, the Jacqui Lambie Network senators and ACT independent senator David Pocock, have backed the bill and have been calling on the Greens to let it pass.
Mr Albanese in June announced $2 billion in new funding for state and territory governments for a "social housing accelerator". It is money they had to use, or commit to using, within two years on either new social housing, spot-purchasing, or renovations to make affordable homes liveable.
The Greens have offered to pass the stalled housing bill if the government guaranteed $2.5 billion per year in public and affordable housing funding as well as committing to negotiating a rent freeze through national cabinet.
The Prime Minister is due to make the announcement at a BlueCHP social housing complex, which was delivered in partnership with the Queensland government and the government's National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation.
Karen Barlow
Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
