The Greens have called for Labor to introduce a national rent freeze and measures to stop price gouging instead of sitting back and watching the RBA raise interest rates again.
As stated by Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim:
"There is no case for the Reserve Bank to raise rates again."
"Raising rates will simply create more hardship for millions of Australians. It won't bring rents down and it won't bring food prices down."
"We need Labor to get off the sidelines and start to take the urgent action needed to tackle the cost of existence crisis."
"Labor could rein in inflation by introducing a corporate super-profits tax, breaking up the supermarket duopoly, making price gouging illegal and coordinating a national rent freeze."
As stated by Greens Housing Spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather MP:
"Labor had the power to freeze rents through National Cabinet, but instead they chose to spit in the face of Australia's 7 million renters and lock in unlimited rent increases."
"Today's CPI data is the consequences. Rents (7.3%) are increasing at close to twice the rate of inflation (3.8%)."
"Behind these numbers sit countless devastating stories. Families evicted into homelessness cos they can't afford the rent increase that Labor could have stopped. Single mums skipping meals. Pensioners sleeping in their cars. What will it take for Labor to freeze rents?"
"Rent increases are driving inflation and interest rate rises have been passed on in rent increases. It is a spiral of pain for already overburdened mortgage holders and renters that the RBA cannot break. Labor could stop this by coordinating a rent freeze through National Cabinet."
