Victorian Greens calls out Premier Andrews over housing crisis

In the latest instalment of the tit-for-tat feud between the Greens and Labor Party, the Victorian Greens has accused Premier Dan Andrews of doing “almost nothing to tackle” the housing crisis.

This followed Premier Andrews commenting on Wednesday (5 July) that he was “not here to take lectures from the Green political party who build nothing”.

The Premier continued with his scathing remarks, stating: “You’re just talkers, you’re in the cheap seats, looking on, voyeurs. While they are all about themselves and getting credit, particularly for other people’s work, we’ll just get on and do the work.”

Mr Andrews made the comments at a press conference following criticisms from Victorian Greens renters’ rights spokesperson Gabrielle de Vietri regarding the Labor Party’s track record on supporting renters.

The Victorian Greens, responding on 6 July, stated that the Premier only committed to considering rent controls following “constructive negotiations with the Greens” earlier this year.

“The Victorian Labor Government set to unveil major planning reforms at some point in the coming months, it is very likely the government will be relying on the Greens to get those reforms across the line,” the Greens stated.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam, further stated: “The Premier likes to arrogantly dismiss the Greens as unimportant, but he must be in a different Parliament to the rest of us, as they will likely rely on us to pass their upcoming planning reforms.”

This exchange followed the Labor Party launching a petition to stop the Greens from deferring Labor’s proposed Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) Bill.

Posted on the ALP’s official website, the Labor government stated: “Labor’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund would be the biggest investment in new social and affordable housing in more than a decade and would deliver the money to build 30,000 affordable homes within its first five years.”

This saga began after the Greens united with the Coalition to defer the HAFF Bill until October 2023, with Greens Leader Adam Bandt calling for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor premiers to act on a rent freeze and limit rent increases.

“If Labor acts on soaring rents at national cabinet, their bill can pass,” Mr Bandt said at the time.

The move to defer sparked outrage from the Labor Party. Mr Albanese stated: “At least those opposite in the Liberal Party don’t pretend. They would have the guts to vote against public housing.”

[RELATED: Labor launches petition to stop Greens HAFF blockade]