Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather spoke to hundreds of protesters outside Labor’s conference on Saturday. Source: own work
Hundreds of people rallied outside the Labor party conference in South Bank on Saturday, demanding the ALP focus on the housing crisis and do more for renters.
Those protesting at the conference at the Brisbane Convention Centre included renters, Greens members, unions, and political groups, with demands including a freeze to rent increases and more public housing.
Greens MP and ‘long-term renter’ Max Chandler-Mather was one of the main speakers at the rally, saying that the ALP, who is meant to represent the workers, is failing them instead, and that renters “won’t forgive Labor.”
This week Labor announced the reactivation of its ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, along with a target of 1.2 million new homes over five years.
But Mr Chandler-Mather said this will not help renters, and that a freeze on rent increases is what’s needed.
“This week Labor abandoned renters and locked in unlimited rent increases, and people aren’t going to forgive them for that,” Mr Chandler-Mather said.
Other speakers, including union members and students, all of whom were renters, had very clear messages, stating that housing needs to be recognised as a human right, not a business, and that renters need to unite together for their demands to be met.
This rally comes after other protests at the Labor conference from Thursday to Saturday, including a CFMEU rally for workers’ safety, for a super profits tax, and for public housing.
Student groups also protested against the AUKUS nuclear submarine.
Greens former leader Bob Brown was also at a rally in South Brisbane on Saturday against logging in Tasmania.
