This Week in NSW Parliament: Westconnex, Sydney Metro Privatisation, and Bill McKibbon!

Commenting on the rental reforms introduced to NSW Parliament today, Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and Greens spokesperson for Housing and Renters said: “The Greens, alongside renters across the state, welcome that the new Labor government is prioritising rental fairness reforms in the first week of Parliament. "Renters are bearing the brunt of the housing and cost of living crisis, we welcome portable bonds as a simple and practical way to ease the financial stress renters’ face moving house. “But when it comes to the changes proposed  to end “secret” rent bidding we hold serious concerns that this will have significant unintended consequences, and will  entrench rental auctions instead of stamping out rent bidding.  "When it comes to rent bidding, it shouldn't matter whether it’s solicited or unsolicited, secret or out in the open, the practice itself is driving up the cost of rent and needs to be banned outright. “Renters are already struggling with the soaring cost of rent and a brutally competitive market. The last thing we should be doing is entrenching a system of renting to the highest bidder.  “We look forward to working with tenants advocates, renters and the government to ensure this Bill does what it is intended to do - and protects renters from the harms of rent bidding. “The Greens have also today given notice of our emergency rent freeze bill. We want to press pause on skyrocketing, unchecked rent increases, and work constructively with the incoming government to fix the rental crisis.”

With more Greens MP’s in our party room, a new government, and a new parliamentary term about to kick off, there have been some changes to our portfolio responsibilities.  We’re looking forward to continuing our ongoing work in the Housing, Renters Rights’ and Homelessness, Industrial Relations, Anti-Racism and Multiculturalism, and Women’s portfolios.  After 8 years of leading the Greens NSW LGBTIQA+ work, we are excited to announce that Amanda Cohn will be taking up this portfolio to continue the Greens long and proud work for rainbow rights.  We’re thrilled to be expanding the Human Rights portfolio to include anti-discrimination, where there is so much work to be done and continues our close work with the Rainbow community on much needed protections and reforms.  We can’t wait to get stuck in! You can see the full list of Greens NSW MP’s portfolios below.

Today’s announcement from the NSW Liberal National Government to redevelop empty land across from Redfern Oval, that until 2013 was 100% public housing, will see more public land flogged off for private profit. The plans announced today propose to build 300 new apartments at the site, of which none appears to be public housing, only one third would be for community housing and the vast majority for private development.

Rent bidding must be banned alongside genuine protections for renters including ending no grounds evictions, freezing and controlling rents, and banning intrusive rental applications.  Commenting on reports today that the NSW Fair Trading Minister is looking into reform that would ban rent bidding,  Greens spokesperson for Housing and Renters and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said:“Rent bidding should absolutely be banned, but we don’t need an investigation to tell us what we already know – dodgy agents and landlords are exploiting and profiting from the rental crisis.  “Conversations with people on the street, and endless stories in the news, show us just how bad the power imbalance between renters and their real estate agent or landlords has gotten. “This is not a new problem and the Liberal Nationals have had 11 years in power to fix the rental crisis, instead they have ignored the renters in their communities and prioritised the interests of investors, real estate agents, and landlords. “The Greens welcome the government’s focus on banning rent bidding, but let’s not hide under the cover of an investigation when we know it’s a problem right now.  “Every single day renters are being hit with massive rent increases they’re too fearful to negotiate or treading on eggshells to ask for basic repairs because of the threat of being evicted.  “At a time when more people are renting than ever before, and for longer, we need to fix the conditions that have made chronic insecurity part and parcel of renting. “The Greens had a bill that would have addressed the crisis faced by renters, but Labor and Liberal shamefully teamed up to block it.  “Rent bidding must be banned alongside genuine protections for renters including ending no grounds evictions, freezing and controlling rents, and banning intrusive rental applications.”