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| Bennelong byelection: Greens focus on house prices in bid to unseat Alexander | Bennelong byelection: Greens focus on house prices in bid to unseat Alexander |
| (2 months later) | |
| Richard Di Natale says party will increase vote as candidate Justin Alick attacks ‘failed leadership of Malcolm Turnbull’ | |
| Paul Karp | |
| Tue 21 Nov 2017 04.24 GMT | |
| Last modified on Tue 21 Nov 2017 05.05 GMT | |
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| The Greens’ 2016 candidate in Bennelong, Justin Alick, will recontest the seat in a high-profile byelection against the incumbent Liberal MP, John Alexander. | The Greens’ 2016 candidate in Bennelong, Justin Alick, will recontest the seat in a high-profile byelection against the incumbent Liberal MP, John Alexander. |
| Alick and the federal Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, have taken aim at the Coalition’s record on housing affordability, one of Alexander’s signature issues in Canberra where he has argued for capital gains tax reform. | Alick and the federal Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, have taken aim at the Coalition’s record on housing affordability, one of Alexander’s signature issues in Canberra where he has argued for capital gains tax reform. |
| At a press conference at Meadowbank Tafe on Tuesday, Di Natale conceded it would be tough for the Greens to make a “huge breakthrough” but said he was confident the party would increase its vote. | At a press conference at Meadowbank Tafe on Tuesday, Di Natale conceded it would be tough for the Greens to make a “huge breakthrough” but said he was confident the party would increase its vote. |
| Alick grew up in rural Queensland and worked in overseas aid and development for the UN in south-east Asia before moving to Ryde four years ago. He currently lives in Epping, which is also in the Bennelong electorate, and won 9.1% of the primary vote at the 2016 election. | Alick grew up in rural Queensland and worked in overseas aid and development for the UN in south-east Asia before moving to Ryde four years ago. He currently lives in Epping, which is also in the Bennelong electorate, and won 9.1% of the primary vote at the 2016 election. |
| Alick told Guardian Australia young people and the middle class were struggling in Bennelong, which he said had the biggest increase in house prices in the country in recent years. | Alick told Guardian Australia young people and the middle class were struggling in Bennelong, which he said had the biggest increase in house prices in the country in recent years. |
| “The federal government, under the failed leadership of Malcolm Turnbull, either has no answer or isn’t prepared to deploy the answers they do have,” he said. | “The federal government, under the failed leadership of Malcolm Turnbull, either has no answer or isn’t prepared to deploy the answers they do have,” he said. |
| But Alick also said local people were “underserved by their representatives regarding the overdevelopment boom” in the area. | But Alick also said local people were “underserved by their representatives regarding the overdevelopment boom” in the area. |
| The Greens candidate said the government wanted people to think the solution to housing affordability was more development but argued the price surge was fuelled by the favourable tax treatment of housing leading to “empty properties that have gone up purely for speculative investment purposes”. | The Greens candidate said the government wanted people to think the solution to housing affordability was more development but argued the price surge was fuelled by the favourable tax treatment of housing leading to “empty properties that have gone up purely for speculative investment purposes”. |
| “We are in the middle of a housing boom that is not making housing more affordable and the only answer they’ve got is to inflate the bubble further … It’s a risky situation for the economy at large.” | “We are in the middle of a housing boom that is not making housing more affordable and the only answer they’ve got is to inflate the bubble further … It’s a risky situation for the economy at large.” |
| Di Natale said Alexander, the local MP who resigned earlier in November, had been “rhetorically” a strong advocate on housing affordability but asked, “What is he doing about it?” | Di Natale said Alexander, the local MP who resigned earlier in November, had been “rhetorically” a strong advocate on housing affordability but asked, “What is he doing about it?” |
| In its 2017 budget, the Turnbull government made a number of incremental changes to improve housing affordability but ruled out negative gearing or capital gains tax reform. | In its 2017 budget, the Turnbull government made a number of incremental changes to improve housing affordability but ruled out negative gearing or capital gains tax reform. |
| Alick pulled his punches on Alexander’s dual citizenship, saying he was not going to “cast blame on him” although the citizenship issue was destabilising the government. | Alick pulled his punches on Alexander’s dual citizenship, saying he was not going to “cast blame on him” although the citizenship issue was destabilising the government. |
| But he said locals thought Alexander had been “largely invisible in representing their interests” and were keen to make the most of the opportunity to pass judgment on Turnbull and his “failed policies”. | But he said locals thought Alexander had been “largely invisible in representing their interests” and were keen to make the most of the opportunity to pass judgment on Turnbull and his “failed policies”. |
| Asked about Labor’s star candidate, the former New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally, Alick said “beyond the fluff of headlines and the famous candidate” the Greens campaign would ask what Labor stood for, particularly due to its equivocation on the Adani mine and whether refugees on Manus Island and Nauru would be allowed to come to Australia. | Asked about Labor’s star candidate, the former New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally, Alick said “beyond the fluff of headlines and the famous candidate” the Greens campaign would ask what Labor stood for, particularly due to its equivocation on the Adani mine and whether refugees on Manus Island and Nauru would be allowed to come to Australia. |
| Alick said Bennelong was culturally diverse but suggestions that this meant there were “divisions in cultural values is a little overblown” as people he spoke to were as concerned with climate change and education funding, two key issues he plans to run on. | Alick said Bennelong was culturally diverse but suggestions that this meant there were “divisions in cultural values is a little overblown” as people he spoke to were as concerned with climate change and education funding, two key issues he plans to run on. |
| “We’re looking to build an Australia that is safe from climate change and free of corruption and dodgy banking practices,” he said. “We want to be smart and prosperous, fair and compassionate.” | “We’re looking to build an Australia that is safe from climate change and free of corruption and dodgy banking practices,” he said. “We want to be smart and prosperous, fair and compassionate.” |
| At the press conference, Alick noted the Greens had been “continuously advancing” their vote in the area at state and federal elections and three local councillors were Greens. | At the press conference, Alick noted the Greens had been “continuously advancing” their vote in the area at state and federal elections and three local councillors were Greens. |
| The 9.1% primary is a touch higher than the Greens Senate primary in New South Wales of 8.7% at the 2016 election but lower than neighbouring north shore Sydney seats where it recorded 11.5% in Bradfield and Berowra. | The 9.1% primary is a touch higher than the Greens Senate primary in New South Wales of 8.7% at the 2016 election but lower than neighbouring north shore Sydney seats where it recorded 11.5% in Bradfield and Berowra. |
| Di Natale said the Greens wanted to “invest in local communities”, attributing the party’s success in the Northcote byelection in Melbourne to years of Greens representation on local councils. | Di Natale said the Greens wanted to “invest in local communities”, attributing the party’s success in the Northcote byelection in Melbourne to years of Greens representation on local councils. |
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