But the prime minister will leave it to states and territories to set the rules that influence housing supply and prices after dismissing calls from the Greens for sweeping federal intervention in the rental market.
Albanese is holding out against the Greens’ demands to increase the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund,which isstalled in the Senate,and will instead use the national cabinet meeting to pursue other ways to tackle housing shortages and soaring costs.
“We will not be nationalising private housing in this country,” Albanese told parliament on Tuesday after being asked by the Greens to get the states to impose rental caps nationwide.
“We will not be doing things that make it more difficult rather than less difficult.”
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With Labor in power in every state except Tasmania,the federal government is aiming to use the national cabinet talks to prove it can tackle housing costs even if the Greens continue to block the housing fund in Canberra.
The federal and state governments are aiming for a deal that sets uniform principles to protect renters with the expectation it would be up to each state and territory to decide the rules under their own laws.