<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>329230</docID> <postdate>2024-09-17 11:58:56</postdate> <headline>PM calls out housing rivals with early election threat</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-329231" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240916157209095304-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Anthony Albanese is threatening to call an early election if Labor's legislation is not passed. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Kat Wong</strong> and <strong>Andrew Brown</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>An early election is on the cards if the federal government fails to break political deadlocks on housing, climate and manufacturing.</strong></p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has put pressure on parliament to pass two signature housing reforms, a separate environment law overhaul and its Future Made in Australia bill – all of which have been met with fierce resistance from the coalition and Greens.</p> <p>Mr Albanese insists the laws do not need amendments because other political parties agree with the objectives of the legislation and support their frameworks.</p> <p>So if the Greens and coalition do not break the stalemates, he may turn to the nuclear option: a double dissolution.</p> <p>"We'll wait and see," he told reporters in Sydney.</p> <p>"The way to avoid a (double dissolution) is for the coalition and the Greens to vote for legislation that they support.</p> <p>"We're always open to sensible discussions... but what we won't do is undermine our own legislation with amendments when it stands on its merits."</p> <p>A double dissolution occurs when there is a deadlock between the Senate and House of Representatives on a proposed law and allows for an election.</p> <p>Talks of a double dissolution arose after the government's $10 billion housing fund was blocked by the Greens - but the bill later passed.</p> <p>Labor's schemes before the Senate - Help to Buy and Build to Rent - have faced criticism that they wouldn't make housing affordable.</p> <p>The Greens are calling on the government to amend its housing bills by including a cap on rent increase, further investment in public housing and a phase-out of tax handouts for property developers.</p> <p>They also want to adjust the Nature Positive legislation to at least consider the impact mining and gas projects can have on climate change.</p> <p>But the minor party says the government has refused to provide any wiggle room in negotiations and MP Max Chandler-Mather said the Commonwealth would rather let a key housing bill fail than fight with the minor party.</p> <p>"We recognise we're not going to get everything in our negotiation with the government," he told ABC on Tuesday.</p> <p>"But right now they've offered nothing - literally no counter offer.</p> <p>"That's very frustrating when we're in such a serious housing crisis."</p> <p>Mr Albanese said boosting supply levels was the best way to solve affordability issues.</p> <p>"When I was young, more than two-thirds of Australians in their early 30s could buy their own home, now it's less than half," he said.</p> <p>"The outlook is even worse for young Australians on low and middle incomes.</p> <p>"That trend is only going in one direction unless we work together to do something about it."</p> <p>The Help to Buy scheme would reduce the requirements for deposits for first-home buyers through a government loan guarantee.</p> <p>It's estimated 40,000 Australians would be able to buy their first property through the government program.</p> <p>But Mr Chandler-Mather, alongside some economists, say the scheme would make housing more affordable for a select few, while pushing up prices for everyone else.</p> <p>"It's desperately cruel for the government to hold this out as some sort of solution to the housing crisis," he said.</p> <p>Coalition home ownership spokesman Andrew Bragg says the Commonwealth's shared equity scheme gives up on the Australian dream.</p> <p>"Australians need to own houses, not the government," he told ABC radio.</p> <p>A similar program, the Home Guarantee Scheme, had been used by 120,000 people.</p> </body>