The Liberal and Labor parties today voted to stop an inquiry into legislation that will allow the Government to build public housing for US troops in Australia as part of AUKUS.
The Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025 is being rammed through the Senate to allow the Defence Housing Authority to build homes for foreign militaries in Australia. The target for these powers is housing for US troops under AUKUS.
To make matters worse, this legislation will be passed without a financial impact statement, leaving unclear how much public money Australia will allocate to building homes for the US military in Australia.
The Greens moved to refer the Bill to a Senate inquiry to allow public scrutiny and to obtain details about the cost and timeframes proposed, but this was opposed by the two war parties.
Reports indicate that there will be an initial 700 US troops stationed in Western Australia as part of AUKUS, with thousands more across Australia.
Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Defence, said: "You cannot make this up. The Albanese Government spent the last Parliament attacking the Greens for wanting more public housing, saying this call was unrealistic. Now, in Labor's first big move in the housing space, it is building public housing not for people doing it rough, but for Trump."
"There is no financial impact statement in this Bill, as if there is no cost to building hundreds of homes. It is another secret deal to put Australian public funds into the pockets of the US military, another bottomless pit of money for AUKUS.
"What this government is doing by passing this Bill in the first sitting period is sending a clear message that their priority is to keep Donald Trump happy, even if that means building the Mar-a-Lago of Perth paid for by the Australian public."
Senator Barbara Pocock, Greens spokesperson for Housing said: "The Government's priorities are clear - US troops are deemed more worthy of public housing than people in Australia desperately needing a roof over their heads.
"In our current housing crisis, the Government is choosing to play politics. Labor says it wants to solve the housing crisis but all they're doing is pandering to US interests.
"Labor is proving they can deliver on public housing. So if the Government can provide public housing for US troops, why can't they do it for vulnerable Australians desperately needing a roof over their head?
"Housing is a human right. The Greens call on Labor to take the housing crisis seriously by delivering public housing for Australians."
