A senior Labor politician has been labelled ‘out of touch’ after denying that immigration was responsible for the housing crisis and giving a jaw-dropping answer to a question about the cost of renting an apartment in Sydney.
In an interview with ABC Radio Sydney‘s Hamish Macdonald, NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson was asked, ‘What do you reckon is a reasonable price to pay in rent for a two-bedroom flat in Sydney?’
Ms Jackson initially said it depended on what part of Sydney you were looking at, then seemed to just guess, saying ‘Sydney’s a big city, you know, I mean, a couple of hundred bucks, right?’
Macdonald then asked Ms Jackson where in Sydney someone could find a two-bedroom apartment for $200 a week.
‘There are places in Sydney you can,’ she said. ‘Not all flats are the same.
‘This is the thing about the housing market, there’s a lot of variety, like a luxe two-bed penthouse in the eastern suburbs is pretty different to a neat and tidy, two-bedroom flat next to a train station in Western Sydney. They’re both good homes.’
The latest median rental price for a unit in Sydney was $720 a week.
She also responded sharply to a question about the federal Labor government’s record immigration rate during the housing crisis.
NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson (pictured with Anthony Albanese) has been called ‘out of touch’ after denying that immigration is responsible for the housing crisis
ABC Radio Sydney’s Hamish Macdonald (pictured) confronted the minister with a series of tough questions
‘I don’t think it’s fair or accurate to categorise immigration as the source of the housing crisis,’ she told Macdonald.
‘We have always supported a sensible conversation about immigration, but ultimately our job is to deliver supply and one of the challenges with supply is skilled Labor.’
Macdonald interjected with a blunt reality check: ‘But population growth does impact housing supply, they’re not unrelated.
‘States have got to plan the infrastructure and the roads and the services to accommodate more people. That’s just a fact isn’t it.’
Ms Jackson hit back: ‘That’s why we want a sensible conversation about it, but I don’t think it’s sensible to say if we stopped immigration to this country, the pressures on our housing market will disappear.’
Ms Jackson was quickly slammed over the interview on social media, with many calling her incompetent and questioning her ability to do the job.
‘It’s deeply concerning that this person is in charge of addressing the housing/rental crisis,’ one said. ‘Out of touch? Incompetent? Both?’
Another added: ‘The minister should stand down immediately and it is also highly offensive to all people in Sydney seeking housing.’
A third said: ‘If you are a Labor or Liberal Housing Minister, being wildly wrong on rents just reinforces how the political class is out of touch,’ one wrote.
‘It’s sad when politicians are just out of touch with reality for normal people, a bit extra sad because Rose Jackson is meant to be one of the ones who “gets it” on housing and planning,’ another said.
In response to backlash over the interview, Ms Jackson was forced to explain herself further on social media.
‘Live radio is a challenging format, sometimes words come out a bit muddled.
‘The question of what is a “reasonable” rent for a two bedroom flat is also challenging to answer – where in Sydney? With a car parking space? A luxury modern home or a dated smaller flat?
‘Also, what is “reasonable” for someone to pay in rent depends on their income, whether they are a single or a couple, again making it a difficult question to answer.
‘As is evident in the transcript Hamish cut me off before I had the chance to explain that context around why “what is a reasonable rent to pay for a two bedroom flat” is not a question that has a straightforward answer.
‘I am acutely aware that weekly rent in Sydney is in the realm of hundreds and hundreds, even thousands of dollars – if listeners misunderstood my comment as a suggestion I thought it was anything less than that I’m happy to clarify.’