OPINION
As George Orwell pointed out so long ago, the left are hypocrites at heart. They rail against ‘exploitation’, but their standard of living ‘demands that the robbery shall continue’.
Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to the housing crisis. For all their pearl-clutching about renters and bastard landlords, the left parties in Australia are awash with wealthy landlords.
Including the bastard landlord in the Lodge.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his record as a landlord after a man renting from Mr Albanese says he was caught out by an eviction notice he says does not match the government’s rhetoric on renting.
ABC Australia
Even the tenant admits that the issue is not that a landlord has the right to do with their property as they please – it’s the hypocrisy that’s the issue. Albanese’s actions, soon-to-be-former tenant Jim Flanagan points out, “seems a little bit misaligned with the messaging Labor has been putting out … about recognising how difficult it is as a renter”.
Albo’s actions are certainly out of step with his state Labor colleagues, including some of his closest allies.
The Victorian Labor government, for instance, advocates rent freezes. The NSW Labor government also advocates caps and freezes, and other restrictions on landlords.
But the biggest disconnect between the left’s rhetoric on housing and their actions, is just how many of them own multiple properties. The Greens, for instance, sneered at the PM’s property portfolio. “With multiple investment properties, maybe it’s hard for the Prime Minister to understand just how urgent this rental crisis is,” Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather wittered.
Perhaps hyphenated-surname ought to sneer a little bit closer to home.
Tasmanian Green senator Nick McKim owns his home, a holiday home, and two investment properties, all mortgaged to Hobart lender Mystate Bank. He’s also fond of calling for Reserve Bank governor Phil Lowe to freeze interest rate rises or resign, but has previously argued he’s no more conflicted by his mortgages than any federal MPs who support the stage three tax cuts (so, somewhat, surely …).
New South Wales senator Mehreen Faruqi owns her home and two mortgaged investment properties.
Not to mention property in her home country, Pakistan. It might also be pointed out that Faruqi is applying to bulldoze a koala habitat on one of her properties, in order to erect luxury units.
David Shoebridge, another Green from New South Wales, lists three mortgaged investment properties held by his wife […]
In Queensland, Penny Allman-Payne owns her residence and an investment property (both mortgaged), while Elizabeth Watson-Brown owns her own home, a holiday home, an investment home and has paid a deposit on an apartment in the Brisbane CBD. Victoria’s Janet Rice owns her own place and a holiday home (both fully paid off). Anthony Albanese, for what its worth, owns two investment properties.
Australian Financial Review
Do as they say, not as they do, peasants.