There’s a book called “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. I’ve never read it, as anyone who’s spent more than five minutes with me will attest. If I had, I might have gone further in my 30 plus years in the Australian Labor Party. Not that that is why I joined. For the most part, I’ve been happy to support the mainly excellent politicians I’ve been associated with from branch level membership. I did make a pathetic attempt to run for State Parliament in 2014 when much to my surprise, we had no local candidate in the months leading up to the 2015 election. My interest then – as it still is – was affordable housing.
It was Labor policy at the time, to release state government land to a body set up by the industry and public service super funds, to “encourage” them to build affordable housing for the members of those funds. So a tiny percentage of everyone’s funds would go into a deliberately low – but literally ‘safe as houses’ return. I reasoned then as I do now, what is the point of superannuation if, after 40 or more years in the workforce, when you retire, you still can’t afford a roof over your head?
It was not necessarily the only time anyone had thought about it but I don’t believe anyone had thought to try and join the dots and make the link. Unfortunately, without anyone pursuing it any further, it slowly but surely dropped out of consciousness and off the Labor policy agenda altogether. Yet my enthusiasm for good policy discussions and outcomes remains and even though I disagree with them by default, ordinary rank and file LNP and Greens party members and others, have my respect. Because they are also plugging away at making the world – or our small part of it – a better place just by turning up and debating on ways to make things better.
But the wheel keeps turning and the fact that people like me keep plugging away means I will be able to witness Labor move much more substantially on affordable housing and not only that, on livability, transportation and amenities. How do I know? The appalling mismanagement of housing policy at a state and federal level for decades now is too big to ignore. The ever increasing friction from those who are finding themselves squeezed out has generated so much heat that Labor now has substantial community support for such moves. Also, various news reports, articles and ideas have informed the debate, that it’s not just about volumes of new affordable dwellings. It’s about communities too.
From across the world, from the US to Europe to Latin America, governments have been trying to come up with ways to kill two birds with one stone. How to solve the same housing crises and revitalise their communities. So for instance, run-down high-street strips, bought up and turned into mixed use developments. Housing on top and retail spaces below. Putting people close to work opportunities and public transport while also reducing traffic and pollution. In the US, vast shopping malls are transforming shopfronts into studio apartments and offices retaining some of the stores that the new residents need like grocery stores, cafés, restaurants, gyms and converting parts of their car parks into green spaces. The new philosophy seems to be “live, work and play” environments.
A sense is building within my party and no doubt other political parties too, that we’re due a revolution in thinking when it comes to housing. Younger voters now outnumber baby boomers and they are overwhelmingly affected by the unaffordability crisis. Though Labor’s steps have been tentative so far, there is a growing sense that a big bang economic reform agenda is on the horizon. Rezoning vast swathes of low-level retail and showroom developments along our cities arterial roads is one way. So the thousands of hectares of airspace above them is released for development, close to the city, close to public transport and services. Brisbane has been dabbling with Transport Oriented Developments (TOD’s) for years already where thousands of apartments have been built near shopping centres. But there is not a dedicated public transport plan to go with it. These are worthy initiatives but it’s time to turbo charge it.
In meeting rooms in school libraries, pubs or church buildings, ideas like this are discussed at length by rank and file party members across Australia every week. It’s the reason many of us actually join the party. Practical, workable, imaginative ideas that quite frankly only the Labor party can deliver. I can’t promise the exact mix of policy that Labor will bring to deal with this hugely important social justice issue, but I’m confident that it will happen. Because the strength of Australia’s political system is in the resilience of its grass roots members from all parties, chipping away for decades, through the ups and downs and quite literally putting a floor underneath societies just by being there. Now where’s that frickin’ book?