Renters revealed as ‘real losers’ of election, after Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton quizzed during second leaders debate

Renters have been deemed as the “real losers” of the election, with one rental advocate accusing both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton trying to “walk away from (their) responsibility to make housing a fairer system”.

While technically an issue for the states, both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader were quizzed by the host of ABC’s Australia Votes Leaders’ Debate, David Speers, on whether more federal leadership was needed to help renters facing instability amid a tight rental market and high prices.

Speers also noted both men had been “property investors over the years,” asking whether they could “understand younger Australians locked out of the market (are) feeling it is people like you who are to blame for the fact the system is rigged against them”.

Mr Albanese is currently renting out the $4m Copacabana coastal retreat he purchased with partner Jodie Haydon in October 2024, while also receiving $1350 a week for his Marrickville home while he lives at The Lodge.

He also made a $45,000 profit for the sale of a Dulwich Hill home in 2024.

Reports from Nine newspapers in February also revealed that Mr Dutton had bought and sold 26 properties both residential and commercial in his adult life, worth about $30m.

Mr Dutton said while he was “happy to support sensible reforms,” however didn’t give a definite answer on if he would back long-term rentals – something put forward by the Greens.

However, he quickly segued into housing, stating the “focus of this election is who is better to fix the housing crisis this government created”.

Mr Albanese dismissed claims the housing crisis was created in the last two years as “nonsense”.

He said Labor had increased the “maximum rental assistance by 45 per cent in this term” and added an investment of $10bn to build 100,000 homes would reduce competition for first home buyers.

Labor has also implemented a shared-equity Help To Buy scheme to allow low-income earners the ability to buy homes with a minimum 2 per cent deposit.

Its build-to-rent scheme will also incentivise developers to build about 80,000 homes which will be exclusively used as rental stock, and increase supply in the market.

Changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax were both ruled out by the major party leaders.

Mr Albanese argued it would “diminish supply” which would reduce the rental stock on the market, while Mr Dutton said it would “stop investment” into homes which are “ultimately rented by young Australians,” and increase rents.

Greens housing advocate Max Chandler-Mather, who is facing an assault from both the Labor and Liberal Party in his Brisbane seat of Griffith, immediately fought back and accused the major parties of not doing enough to help struggling renters.

“The real losers in this debate were the one third of this country that rents,” he told NewsWire.

“The Greens will fight to cap rent increases, and scrap negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount for investors with more than one investment property, so renters finally have the chance to buy a home.”

The minor party has called for a independent National Renters Protection Authority to investigate breaches in rental law, plus the option for renters to access five-year leases.

“There’s a single mum out there right now one rent increase away from eviction, and only the Greens want to cap her rent, Labor and the Liberals would see her evicted out of her home because of a $100 a week rent increase,” he said.

Tenants’ Union of NSW chief executive Leo Patterson Ross said renters who were on lower incomes, “but not the lowest,” had felt “left out of the conversation and out of the policy promises”.

“There’s a disconnect that the parties aren’t conscious of how difficult it is for people renting at the moment, and (instead focus on) this idea that we will just help you buy a property.

“It’s just not connected to the reality that people are facing.

“People are looking for more concrete policies that assist renters, that are aimed at making renting a more viable and dignified form of housing in Australia.

“I think there is another element where the government has really tried to walk away from its responsibility to make housing a fairer system and tries to portray the (rental market) as something that’s just sort of a consequence of some natural forces instead of something that government can do (something) about.”

Mr Patterson Ross added that there are examples of the federal government intervening to ensure prices on essential services.

He points towards emergency intervention to cap gas prices taken by the federal parliament in December 2022, largely caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“That’s another area where, technically it’s the states’ and territories’ responsibility, but the federal government clearly took a leadership role, brought the states and territories along with them, and brought down the price of an essential service.

“We’re not seeing the same kind of ambition for renting.”