Sign my open letter to the Prime Minister and the Ministers for Housing and Climate Change and Energy. They've put forward legislation that won't improve the housing or climate crises, and are trying to ram them through without negotiating with the crossbench. To pass these bills, Labor needs support from the Greens in the Senate, and all we're asking is that they do the bare minimum to address the crises.
Your support will push the government to come to the negotiating table in good faith to discuss improvements to their bills. Add your name and we'll include it when the letter is sent.
To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Cc: Minister for Housing Julie Collins, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen
Dear Prime Minister,
Australia is currently experiencing two major crises. A housing and cost of living crisis that means more and more people are struggling to pay the rent or meet mortgage repayments, leading to rising homelessness. And a climate crisis that means we’re seeing more frequent and severe flooding and bushfires across the country.
I am writing to you on behalf of the undersigned and all voters in Ryan who want real action on both of these issues, and they need this action to be taken urgently.
Your government has presented two pieces of legislation that do not address these issues, but in fact will likely make the problems worse. Your Housing Future Fund bill will see the shortage of social and affordable homes increase, and your modifications to the Safeguard Mechanism will see the approval of new coal and gas projects leading to increased emissions.
Since the Senate is the most progressive it has been in decades, you have an immense opportunity to work with the Greens and crossbench to amend your bills to begin to truly address these burning issues.
The voters of Ryan therefore request you to:
- Come to the negotiating table with the Greens and crossbenchers with a spirit of cooperation and compromise
- Amend your housing bill to include an emergency freeze on rent increases, and a direct investment of $5 billion a year in social and affordable housing
- Amend your modifications to the Safeguard Mechanism to include a ban on new coal and gas projects to ensure emissions will not go up as a result
These are not extreme measures. They are the bare minimum to begin addressing these major issues. We are counting on you to work for real outcomes here.
In hope,
Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP, and the below constituents of Ryan: