Chief burr in Anthony Albanese’s side, Max Chandler-Mather (known in this blog as MCM and yes, that is on purpose. iykyk) has signaled he will be making rentals an issue again – this time in response to the Grattan Institute report reminding politicians that you can not retire comfortably in this nation if you have housing costs.

Two thirds of retirees who rent privately live in poverty in Australia and its only getting worse.In this wealthy country, nobody should have to retire into poverty just because they don't own a home.www.theguardian.com/society/2025…

— Max Chandler-Mather (@maxchandlermather.bsky.social) 2025-02-09T23:04:07.034Z

MCM:

“In the short term we won’t solve this crisis without limits on rent increases. Right now landlords can put up the rent by however much they like and that needs to change immediately.

In the long-term, home ownership will keep declining until the government winds back negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount. An entire generation faces economic destitution unless the government stops dishing out tax handouts to property investors with multiple homes

Thousands of pensioners and retirees are one rent increase away from homelessness, and many more are already having to make impossible choices between skipping meals or paying the rent.

Rather than billions for property investors, the government should be investing in directly building hundreds of thousands of good quality homes and renting them to people who need them at prices they can actually afford.“