Labor and Coalition both reject rent caps as housing costs soar
Housing Minister and Opposition both reject rent caps. They say price controls would shrink rental supply.
Housing Minister Clare O'Neil ruled out rent caps in an interview on Wednesday. Opposition shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash also ruled them out.
O'Neil and Cash clashed over who caused Australia's housing crisis. O'Neil said restricting prices would discourage landlords and reduce available homes.
Building more homes is the only answer. Labor recorded more homes under construction than ever before.
Cash agreed caps would not work. But she blamed the government for letting migration outpace housing construction.
She said annual homes built fell from about 200,000 under the Coalition. That dropped to about 170,000 under Labor.
The Coalition proposes cutting migration by 100,000 over each of the first two years. It would also lower building costs.
Neither side offered an immediate rent-control measure.
- about 200,000 annually
- Homes built under Coalition
- about 170,000 annually
- Homes built under Labor
- 100,000 over two years
- Coalition migration cut proposal
Why it mattersRenters hoping for relief from rising rents face united opposition to price controls from both parties.
AustraliaEvery Australian renter; housing affordability likely to worsen without intervention from either major party.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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