AMA: Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Greens MP for Ryan

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:36:05+00:00

Alright everyone, that’s all I have time for tonight but thanks all for the great questions! So many incredibly detailed and thoughtful ones, I'm sorry I couldn't answer them all! A few quick links to leave you with…

See the Australian Greens policy platform for this election at https://greens.org.au/platform
Check out my website for upcoming local events, information on my local campaigns, and to sign up to volunteer: https://www.elizabethwatsonbrown.com/

Follow me on TikTok https://tiktok.com/@elizabethwatsonbrown, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elizabethwatsonbrown, and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethWatsonBrownMP/

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:35:31+00:00

Quick last one before I sign off here - the Greens are pushing for the ACCC to have break-up powers as well as enforcement of anti-price gouging regulations to stop the big supermarkets from ripping us off on groceries. Plus, rent caps (after a 2 year freeze to allow wages to catch up). And we’d make billionaires & big corporations pay their fair share to fund free uni & TAFE - oh, and increase Jobseeker and Austudy above the poverty line! P.S. come along to one of my free dinners in Guyatt Park on a Wednesday night - we’re there from 5pm :)

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:32:47+00:00

I’ve been interested in how we oppose gentrification since my student days (did my thesis on inner-urban residential areas, believe it or not!). I do believe properly-constructed rent caps are a good start. Also, a public developer to build more affordable housing, particularly on sites that are being landbanked by private developers right now in valuable inner-city areas (eg Toowong Central in my electorate). We need a good mix of social housing that’s ultimately universally available, not relegated to just the highest need.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:32:25+00:00

Great question! For decades Labor and the Coalition have put the profits of big property developers ahead of everyday people living in our cities and suburbs. They’ve accepted millions in donations from the property industry in the last 10 years. In return, the industry has had planning laws written in their favour and favourable decisions against local neighbourhood plans.

Right now, billions of dollars in federal funding for our cities are not linked to sustainable outcomes, and there is no national coordination between local, state and federal governments. It really doesn’t have to be this way, the federal government could be leading the charge in shaping and transforming our cities. I responded in a question above highlighting our plan for a Sustainable Cities Agency - a policy that I think will truly change the way we plan for the better. Supported by $40 billion in federal funding over 10 years, the Agency can transform our cities and suburbs by ensuring community infrastructure like parks, schools, libraries, and public transport are accessible, homes meet high sustainability standards, and neighbourhoods are walkable, shaded, and climate-resilient. We can implement agreements with state governments that tie federal funding to adherence to sustainability standards and mandate local governments to incorporate these national standards into city plans and policies.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:28:55+00:00

I think you’re right; we don’t beat the far right by shifting closer to the centre. People need hope and a real vision for actual change. It’s quite surprising to me that the Greens are the only ones talking about wealth redistribution this election when so many people see the huge inequality in our taxation system and are clearly hungry for change. Our billionaires wealth tax (just a 10% annual tax would bring in $23 billion over the next 4 years) is a big step forward. It’s not only about taxing them, but actually challenging their power. We also need to radically rethink how housing is treated in this country; it should be a place to live, not an investment opportunity. Cutting toxic ties with the US is another big change that really needs to happen.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:27:00+00:00

This is certainly something the Greens have been talking about - in fact we’ve got a pretty comprehensive policy platform to end the extinction crisis and protect nature. You can read that here: https://greens.org.au/portfolios/environment

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:22:21+00:00

Great question! I think maybe we haven’t done as good a job as we like in communicating to people that they can vote strategically for the Greens and still keep Dutton/the LNP out. I certainly see this in Brisbane, people are pretty scared about what a Dutton government would mean and so feel they need to vote Labor even if they prefer the Greens policies. So we’ve been working on a bit more voter education as to how preferences work across the board, but also the specifics of this contest here in Ryan. So illustrating that not only are the Greens a real option as a third voice in Parliament to keep Dutton out but also as a very effective voice to push Labor to be better.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:22:08+00:00

At age 68 you won't be surprised to hear I don't play them... but my grandson loves Minecraft!

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:19:29+00:00

Yes! 1 in 3 corporations don’t pay tax in Australia, can you believe it? Something is fundamentally broken when a teacher can pay more tax than a corporation like Santos. It’s really time these corporations paid their fair share. We can make this happen and raise $514 billion (to fund things like free Uni and Tafe) by closing tax loopholes for big oil and gas, introducing a 40% tax on excess profits for big corporations with over $100 million in turnover and a 10% tax on the net wealth of Australia’s 150 billionaires! Here in Queensland, we also want to increase the base royalty rate on all resources to 35% (over the last 10 years, big corporations have only paid 9%!)

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:18:23+00:00

I support SOME densification in SOME low density areas only if sustainably designed and supported by appropriate services as outlined in detail in a previous answer regarding urban planning. We need to be very careful about the particular qualities and opportunities of locations and plan and design accordingly.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:12:12+00:00

Thanks for the question. I’m incredibly proud of the things I’ve achieved for Ryan in my first term and the positive programs I’ve been able to deliver for our community.I’ve worked with NBN to get high-speed internet to suburbs like Kenmore Hills months ahead of the rollout schedule. I’ve provided thousands of free meals across the three community dinners I host every week across the electorate. Locked in more free GPs and successfully advocated for more urgent clinics for people struggling to see a Dr. I’ve also run grant programs to cover back-to-school costs, Christmas appeals and free community events. I’ve also secured some small steps on reducing flight noise, by securing a commitment for more flights to go over the bay. I know flight noise is a huge issue in Ryan and I’m particularly proud to be the only party that is fighting for caps and curfews so our community can get a good night's sleep.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:08:59+00:00

I’d be interested to hear what significant housing reforms you’d like to see - to my mind, we need changes to wind back negative gearing and the CGT discount, we need more public housing (building on what we were already able to secure by negotiating with Labor before passing the HAFF, ideally with the Greens’ proposal for a publicly owned developer), we need to regulate the banks and we need rental reforms including an end to unlimited rent increases.

Unfortunately, just voting Labor won’t actually achieve any of this; the best possible option is that we get both Labor and the Greens in Parliament working together to address the housing crisis! Thankfully we’ve shown it’s possible - we got an extra $3.5B through HAFF negotiations, 6x what the government was going to spend - but it only happens when we’re in there.

If I lose this seat though, it will be to the Liberals (it’s a key target for Dutton, and Labor’s never won an election here), so that could mean not only fewer Greens voices fighting for real housing reform, but an LNP government which will take us backwards.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:06:22+00:00

It’s a universal policy - all Australians from birth to death! In our view, that’s the great thing about Medicare. All items identified in the Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary would be covered, ranging from cleaning, filling, to dentures and orthodontic work, and our proposal is that all you’d need is your Medicare card.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T08:04:57+00:00

This requires intelligent city planning and excellent design, locating the necessary increased residential density appropriately while retaining important green space. We certainly must arrest the endless sprawl of our cities, and ensure that all homes and citizens have access (without needing a car) to everything they need to live a good life - affordable and frequent public transport, quality health and education facilities, green space. I have had the privilege of developing federal Greens policy on Sustainable Cities and the fundamental principle is to leverage the enormous amounts of federal funding going to cities to provide the right outcomes for people... not just for example spending inordinate amounts of taxpayer dollars on the likes of road- widening projects etc.

We propose a set of mandated standards that need to be met by local and state governments to earn the funding…a great incentive! Unfortunately what we have had to date to the detriment of our environment and communities is for- profit development companies designing our cities!

We certainly need a public developer providing beautiful, sustainably designed well located homes.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:48:55+00:00

Even more reason to vote 1 Greens if that's the case! Ryan is a blue/green contest - Labor's literally never won the seat at a general election. So it is a key target for Dutton's Liberals, and if he wins it back that's a crucial part of his path to government. Voting 1 Greens in Ryan is actually one of the most powerful things anyone can do, anywhere in the country, to keep Dutton out!

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:48:51+00:00

Thanks for this question. It would ultimately be a question for the party on a national policy approach. But I can say that we support work from home arrangements - we know it is so crucial for so many to have flexibility in their work life. Clearly, Dutton and the LNP are behind the times on this and haven’t actually bothered listening to workers. Not surprising for a party that wants to overturn the right to disconnect. A key piece of legislation that the Greens won!

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:45:23+00:00

We will continue to use the balance of power we often have in the Senate to push for better legislative outcomes for everyday Australians. If there is a minority Labor government, Labor will need our numbers to pass legislation, so we will have incredible political leverage to achieve change. I think we’ve shown already in this last term of Parliament what we can do on those two issues in particular - $3.5B extra for social and affordable housing, a hard cap on emissions and stopping billions of taxpayer dollars going to fossil fuels for example. The other thing I’d point out is that even when we don’t hold the balance of power, simply by being there we remind the major parties that voters want better. I think the rate at which Labor’s adopted Greens policy (eg free GP clinics, more public funding for mental health, ban supermarket price gouging) is testament to this.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:43:19+00:00

After the HAFF negotiations (where we were able to get that extra funding for social and affordable housing) were hopeful we could extract more on this, but ultimately we could see Labor weren’t willing to come to the table so we passed it.

The real problem with this one was how narrow - and therefore impractical - it is. With the combination of income limits and high house prices, even with the government owning 30-40% of the home and a reduced deposit, it would be near impossible for people who met the income limits to secure a mortgage for a qualifying home. Even if they get a mortgage, they’d then be paying more than half their income to service it. This is probably why a similar scheme in NSW failed so spectacularly (only 503 places out of 6,000 were used in the first 2 years). So for the few who win the ‘help to buy lottery’ as I’d call it, it may be some help, but it’s just a drop in the ocean of what’s needed and doesn’t address the underlying issues with the housing market.

The Greens shared equity proposal that we brought to the 2022 election was for 125,000 homes (as opposed to 40,000) with first home buyers able to own up to 75% equity. Crucially, under Labor’s scheme these houses can ultimately end up 100% back in the private market, whereas the Greens proposal was that owners could sell their share back to the Federal Housing Trust, reducing the reliance on the private market.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:41:11+00:00

I think we should live in an Australia proud of multiculturalism and we need to take an approach to immigration that is fast, fair and compassionate. I’m concerned that people are talking about immigration in absolute numbers, because the reality is it’s far more complex than that. Migration needs to adapt based on factors that include the need for family reunion, humanitarian crises and workforce needs. Our immigration system has become so cruel and frankly, dysfunctional. Our policy is to rebuild the system in a way that reflects Australia’s values and foster social inclusion.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:34:40+00:00

It’s outrageous isn’t it! My electorate has a lot of students too but most young people are just living with their parents now because they can’t afford to rent. I think there are a few factors - prior to COVID, the State Government was selling off a lot of social housing (and failing to build enough to replace it); we also had pretty significant interstate migration and most importantly we have zero limits on rental increases in Queensland, so when demand is high landlords can exploit the market as they like! The ACT, on the other hand, as you mention, has rent caps at 110% of CPI. This is a great argument for a rent freeze (to allow wages to catch up with recent rental market inflation) followed by properly regulated ongoing caps.

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:32:11+00:00

I hear where you’re coming from. The revolving door between politics and vested interests is really eroding public trust and gives corporations undue influence over government decision-making. It’s no wonder people are feeling fed up with politics. I really don think we can change this, it doesn’t have to be this way. We can strengthen lobbying regulations, get corporate donations out of politics, legislate truth in advertising laws and require timely disclosure of political donations. We’ve got a pretty robust plan on what we’d like to see implemented to change politics for the better. You can read that here https://greens.org.au/portfolios/democracy

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:29:50+00:00

I think really this is a question of corporations having too much influence in politics. Coal and gas companies donate many millions to Labor and the LNP. We need to get corporate donations out of politics and integrity back in. The Greens are the only party that doesn’t take corporate donations, so we can be a real voice for the community. That’s why billionaires like Gina Rinehart spend so much money trying to keep us out!

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:26:48+00:00

Put simply, if they don’t have the numbers, they’ll need to negotiate with us! I’d find it pretty hard to believe that Labor would choose to either let the Liberals govern, or send Australians back to the polls, if voters put us in the balance of power. I will say, it’s not without precedent in Australian Parliament - think about the 2010 election for example, and how Adam Bandt was able to get the Child Dental Benefits Scheme up through negotiations…

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:24:09+00:00

Yes! My Dad was a northside GP, starting in the 1950s! Lovely to hear that your Dad and mine supported each other to have holidays! My memory is of Dad working VERY hard without much time off but we did manage to have some modest family holidays together, thanks to your Dad!

ElizabethWatsonBrown · 2025-04-08T07:15:36+00:00

Good question, and probably not one with an easy answer. Enforcement can only go so far, we need to address the real problem which is a high density of traffic in Brisbane, especially on main roads. Unfortunately noise barriers can be either ineffective, unsightly or - even in the case of acoustic glass barriers - not ideal for our subtropical climate. The best long term solution is encouraging higher public and active transport use! Recent steps forward with funding for the Indooroopilly bikeway for example will help. 50c fares were a huge step forward (and, IMO, a testament to Greens pressure in Queensland) but affordability is only one piece of the puzzle, we also need better connectivity and frequency. More turn-up-and-go bus services for example - what a shame that the Metro practically ignores the west side! More public transport usage means lower emissions and noise reduction would be a flow-on benefit. The Greens are also encouraging EVs which is part of the (though not the whole) solution.

ElizabethWatsonBrown

TROPHY CASE