Albanese minister Clare O’Neil has outburst over Coalition and Greens blocking Labor’s housing bill

Federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has called the Coalition and the Greens teaming up to block the government’s Help to Buy bill a case of “politics first, second, and third” during a Sunrise interview.

For the second time, Labor was unable to pass the bill on Tuesday, which would give first-home buyers access to cheaper deposits through a government guarantee.

The Greens teamed-up with the opposition and other crossbenchers to torpedo a motion to bring on a vote, saying they wanted a further two months of negotiation to fix the legislation.

The Greens have called on the government to include a cap on rent increases, further investment in public housing, and a phase-out of tax handouts for property developers.

On Wednesday, O’Neil appeared on Sunrise alongside host Nat Barr and Liberal Senator Jane Hume, taking aim at opposition to the bill, which she says is designed to help 40,000 Aussies gain homeownership.

“If I went to your viewers today and asked them what should the government be doing in the middle of a housing crisis, I reckon most of them would agree this is exactly the kind of policy we need to see,” a clearly frustrated O’Neil said.

“Yet, what we’ve seen is the Liberals and the Greens work together in the Senate to prevent this bill from becoming Australian law. We all seem to agree there’s a housing crisis in this country.

“What I’m finding really frustrating is that people are putting politics first, second, and third.

“I would say to Jane, to her colleagues, to the Greens (and) to the Senators in the country, it’s time to put politics to the side.”

Hume took aim at the policy, saying it replicates state policies which are already highly unpopular. Hume added the policy would mean the federal government would own a chunk of the purchased home.

“What I would say to Jane and her colleagues very genuinely, you know, if you are a childcare worker in this country, you’ve basically got Buckley’s chance of getting into the housing market right now,” O’Neil said.

Hume wouldn’t be moved on her stance, calling out the federal government for not dealing with supply.

“The real problem here is supply,” Hume said.

“You have wall-to-wall Labor governments across the mainland of Australia, except for the Northern Territory. It actually is a demonstration of the lack of respect that the premiers have for this prime minister.”

Following the failure of the bill, Albanese refused to rule out triggering an early election via a double dissolution, which would be considered an extreme option.

A double dissolution occurs when there is a deadlock between the Senate and House of Representatives on a proposed law, prompting the governor-general to dissolve both chambers, paving the way for an election.

If the government fails to pass the law through the Senate in another vote in at least three months from now, the double dissolution can be invoked.

— With AAP