Labor decided Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah would be an ideal spokesperson to swat those pesky Greens

But it seems comrade Ananda-Rajah has a proprietary interest in maintaining the status quo of unaffordable housing.

The Greens dealt themselves out of affordable housing yesterday, just as they dealt themselves out of climate solutions in 2009. pic.twitter.com/kDBsHvXMtA

— Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP (@michrajah) February 16, 2023

This might explain her impassioned plea to make things worse with Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund.

A party of Landlords will never look after renters

Labor tries to blame the Greens for their policy’s inadequacies

Labor has been trying to cow the Greens with attacks coordinated with their friends in the media.

This gem from Sky News…

In @PDGarvey’s riveting patriotic piece ‘Greens leader Adam Bandt refuses to stand with Australian flag’ we learn that Adam is “divisive”, “racist”, “childish virtue-signalling”, “goolie-kicking”, “disrespectful”, “stupid” and a “privileged woke MP.”

…is typical.

Labor have even been dredging up their favourite “own goal” Rudd’s abysmal CPRS.

Guy Rundle doesn’t seem that impressed either. “Making the perfect the enemy of the good…” Who had “Tanya Plibersek” and 5.44 pm February 15 in the sweep for when Labor would trot that one out? It’s a time tunnel to 2009 and the CPRS arguments.”

“This is Labor’s full-scale attack on the Greens for abstaining in the House on voting up the government’s new housing program, ahead of possibly voting against it in the Senate, which would take it down. Labor is mobilising on this, with Julian Hill, member for Bruce, thundering (well, he doesn’t thunder, more observing archly), “Green party hypocrisy is astounding. Pretending to care about affordable housing, but…” Etc, etc.

Annika Wells, member for Lilley, joined in with, “It’s hard to be smug, weak and wrong at the same time, but last night the Greens…” Etc, etc.

And Education Minister Jason Clare, a sort of Joker-fied Julian Hill, used the housing plan’s domestic violence provisions to remark, “Unbelievable. The Liberals and the Greens are threatening to block funding to build homes for women and children fleeing domestic violence.” And on it goes.” Labor’s $10 billion housing policy of spin and abusing the Greens won’t play like it used to – Guy Rundle – Crikey

This time the attack seems to have fallen flat, with the MSM treating the Greens’ objections to Labor’s housing scheme almost sympathetically. This is from the Mandurah Mail.

Max Chandler-Mather, the Greens’ housing spokesperson said, “The PM displayed a spectacular ignorance of the housing situation … it was genuinely shocking to hear the prime minister not nearly across any basic detail,” he said.

“If he wants to wax lyrical about growing up in public housing, then he should have to explain to the 640,000 people this bill leaves behind what they’re going to do, where are they going to go?”

Labor MP Anika Wells lashed the Greens for not voting on an issue “they claim to care about”.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers blamed the coalition’s continual opposition to its bills for “dealing the Greens into the game”.

“When it comes to the various pieces of legislation before the parliament, what the coalition’s pig-headed approach has done is it has dealt the Greens into the game,” he told reporters.

“The obstructionism we see from the opposition makes the Greens relevant.”

Obviously, Anika knows what the Greens’ reservations are. Max has been clear about the Greens objections.

On Thursday Labor introduced their Housing Australia Future Fund bill into parliament. I want to break down why this plan will see the shortage of social housing get worse and see a yearly cut in housing funding. 🧵

— Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) February 11, 2023

Instead of critiquing those reservations, Anika goes on the attack using an emotive ploy. While this might be effective with the Labor faithful, it just looks desperate to anyone else.

As for Chalmers, his words convey it all really. Full of the entitlement and born-to-rule arrogance of a Morrison or a Howard. Not only dismissing the Greens’ right to abstain but the voters who gave them that right.

Let’s allow Michael Pascoe to introduce our PM’s attempt at an emotive ploy.

Cheap political spin

“So, faced with the problem of the election stunt being seen to have holes in it, is Labor reconsidering its policy to come up with something better that will achieve more?

…the Prime Minister tried to hit back with an emotional appeal based on tragedy.

“The Housing Australia Future Fund will not only produce increased social housing, 4000 of those homes are reserved for women and children escaping domestic violence,” he said.

“Because last night and tonight and the next night, women and children searching a safe haven from a circumstance not of their arising will be forced to sleep in their car or in a park – or, worse still, return to a dangerous situation.”

That sounds responsibly prime ministerial – but with just a little examination, it is actually cheap political spin exploiting bashed women and children.

It is an aspiration to provide 4,000 homes over the next six years – an average of just 666 more homes a year, if the investment markets are kind.” – Michael Pascoe: Labor spins a housing policy that does nowhere near enough – New Daily

Labor needs to stop acting like petulant brats and explain this new reality to their donors

The idea that a political party can choose not to vote with the government if they consider their policies inadequate, seems incomprehensible to Labor. To be fair; constantly voting with Liberal governments may have embedded that mindset.

Labor voted with Morrison’s Liberal National government 93% of the time, so clearly they have much more in common with the LNP than the Greens. Understandable, as the Greens are far more reminiscent of Gough’s social reformist government.

Labor loves their “adults in the room” shtick, whereby the Greens are portrayed as immature, childish and simply unaware of how the real world works. Labor is automatically deemed wise and worldly, in this oft-repeated narcissistic self-enhancement.

It’s clear who the immature party is in this instance.

The correct response from Labor was to accept the Greens’ right to act in the best interests of their constituents. In short to act as they see fit.

Then, to concede that negotiations with the Greens would be necessary to get the bill through the Senate. Simple and respectful. Adult.

Those uncaring Greens want the government to build 275,000 public and affordable homes over five years and introduce a two-year national rent freeze. “Oh no!” the poor and needy cry in horror.

Shades of those old Labor values we haven’t seen since Gough.

In case it’s not apparent, this humble scribe is a little over the arrogant behaviour of Labor politicians and their cult-like devotees. People who lionise Gough Whitlam, while metaphorically pissing on his grave with their militarism and neoliberal policies.