The Victorian Greens' Bill to make housing a human right will be debated in Parliament today, putting Labor to the test after its MPs have 16 times declared on the record this term that housing is a human right.
The Greens' Bill would enshrine the internationally recognised right to adequate housing into Victoria's Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, meaning all future laws and government decisions, departments and bodies like police and courts would have to comply with and uphold this right.
The Greens say if Labor believes the right to housing is a human right, they will vote with their values and support the bill. If the bill passes it could influence government decisions like Labor's plan to demolish and privatise all 44 public housing towers, which is set to displace more than 10,000 residents.
The Bill is backed by housing, human rights and legal experts including Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, and former Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bell AO KC, and comes just weeks after he told a parliamentary inquiry into the government's plan to demolish the towers that it breaches the right to housing under international law. Bell told the inquiry:
"If the right to housing were incorporated in the Charter, the government would have to go about this kind of project differently, and that's a very good thing."
As stated by the Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri:
"Labor says housing is a human right, but they're demolishing people's homes in the middle of a housing crisis. You can't have it both ways, it's a total contradiction."
"If Labor votes against this Bill, they'll be admitting their policies are at odds with the basic right to housing, and that they care more about property developers than people who need a safe and secure home."
