In what can only be described as the first example of their “new normal”, the Labor Greens Government last week voted against action to tackle growing poverty and housing affordability in the ACT.

According to the ACT Council of Social Service, 38,000 Canberrans including 8,000 children are living in poverty.

The Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot has highlighted the lack of affordable housing for low income households in the ACT, with just 4 percent of properties being affordable for someone on minimum wage.

The Canberra Liberals moved two motions in the Assembly last week; one proposing solutions and initiatives to tackle housing affordability and the other to establish a Poverty Task Force to investigate and address the rising rate of poverty and disadvantage in Canberra.

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said it’s very sad that Labor and Greens, who have the power to actually do something, voted against taking action to address poverty and housing affordability in our city.

“This Labor-Greens Government claims it knows exactly what the causes are; it apparently knows exactly what the reasons are. If that is the case, why are we in this situation right now?

“They are very good at talking the talk. We know this. They have had 20 years of talking.

“It is not good enough for Labor and the Greens to claim the problem is nothing to do with them and place all blame on the federal government.

“If this is their first display of the ‘new normal’ they campaigned so hard for, then the next four years will be very difficult for our most vulnerable Canberrans,” Ms Lee concluded.