Greens and Coalition push vote back two months
The government has been unable to secure a Senate vote on the Help to Buy scheme, as a coalition of the Greens and opposition forces delayed the legislation for two months, ABC News has reported.
The plan, aimed at enabling the government to co-purchase homes with 40,000 first-home buyers, has been stalled in the Senate since February with no resolution in sight.
Ahead of this week’s Senate session, the federal government sought to push the bill to a vote, aware that it would likely face defeat. Ministers have criticised the Coalition and the Greens for allegedly working together to block the government’s housing agenda. In response, critics accuse the government of attempting to abandon its own initiative.
The Greens have called for negotiations and proposed a series of demands, including reforms to negative gearing, the establishment of a government-owned property developer, and a nationwide rent freeze. However, finance minister Katy Gallagher stated that the Greens were not serious about negotiations, accusing the party of shifting focus to unrelated issues.
According to the ABC report, Greens leader Adam Bandt (pictured above right) moved to postpone the vote for two months on Tuesday, a motion that passed on Wednesday with support from the Coalition. Bandt described the delay as a challenge for Labor, calling on the government to negotiate with his party.
“The Greens are willing to negotiate,” Bandt said. “The time is ticking for the prime minister to stop bulldozing and let his ministers negotiate with the Greens to pass the bill. This is a test for Labor. Do they want this bill to pass, or are they trying to make it fail?”
Gallagher countered, accusing the Greens of playing political games in collaboration with opposition leader Peter Dutton and the Coalition. She urged the Greens to be transparent, claiming the party’s actions were simply stalling tactics.
The Coalition has been critical of the Help to Buy scheme, arguing that most Australians would not want the government to co-own their homes. They also pointed to underwhelming participation in similar state-level programs. Meanwhile, the Greens believe the scheme is too limited to affect housing affordability, warning that increasing demand could drive house prices higher.
The government views Help to Buy as part of a broader housing strategy that includes tax incentives for Build to Rent developments and the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), which is set to finance the construction of 13,700 affordable homes in its first phase.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured above left) has hinted that the Senate’s obstruction of the Help to Buy bill could trigger a double dissolution election, which would dissolve the entire Senate for a full election rather than the usual half-Senate vote. While a double dissolution is rare and considered unlikely, it has sparked speculation about an early general election.
The two-month postponement may be treated as the first instance of the Senate rejecting the bill, opening the door for a potential second rejection later in the year, which could set the stage for a possible double dissolution election.
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