Labor Faces Firefight in Senate Over $32 Billion Housing Bill

The Albanese government’s announcement of initial funding rounds for its housing initiatives left Senator Penny Wong with a firefight in the Senate on Sept. 16 during Question Time. On the morning of Sept. 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposed an initial allocation of $32 billion (US$21.5 billion) for the Housing Australia Future Fund and the National Housing Accord to support the construction of over 13,700 new social and affordable homes across the country. The bill was put up for debate in the Senate later that day. Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi called the announcements a political stunt. She argued the proposed bill would only benefit 0.2 percent of renters while potentially driving up housing prices for others....