Australian Greens policies and positions in 2026

The short answer

Australian Greens policies and positions in 2026

The Australian Greens state their positions through the Policy Principles and Aims page, portfolio pages on environment, cost of living, health, housing, and climate, and recent media releases including the June 2026 tax package announcement, the July 2026 NDIS response, the 29 July 2026 rent freeze call and a 7 August 2026 call on Women's Safety Ministers to commit an additional $4.6B to social housing for women escaping violence. All claims are attributed to the Greens and have not been independently verified.

This guide uses public electoral and parliamentary records. A party or candidate statement establishes what that actor says; it does not independently establish that the statement is true.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

Evidence review

Housing

The Australian Greens' 'Tackling the Housing Crisis' page, dated 22 May 2026, states the party's core housing policy. The Greens say that 'in a wealthy country like ours, everyone should have a secure home' but 'millions of us face soaring rents and unaffordable mortgages.' The party states that Labor is 'locking in tax breaks for wealthy property investors' while 'the banks and developers profit from the housing crisis.' The Greens say they have 'delivered billions for social and community housing' and that with the balance of power in the Senate, they have 'the opportunity to go even further.'

The Greens state their housing plan includes stopping unlimited rent increases, building public housing, and making homeownership fairer. On their cost-of-living page, the party proposes taking on 'corporate greed and political donations from big corporations driving up prices,' linking housing affordability to broader economic inequality. The 23 June 2026 media release states the Greens supported the government's amended tax package after securing an amendment 'to prevent wealthy property investors from exploiting a loophole to use Self-Managed Super Funds to buy up tax-advantaged investment properties.'

The Greens do not specify on their housing page what rent increase cap they propose, whether it would be a percentage or CPI-linked limit, or which level of government would implement it. The party does not provide a numerical target for public housing construction or specify the funding mechanism for universal public housing. On the SMSF property investment amendment, the party does not state what proportion of property investment this change would affect.

In a media release dated 29 July 2026, the Australian Greens call for an immediate national rent freeze. The party states that 'Australians are paying record rents and struggling with rising inflation' and that 'the government must act immediately to freeze rents and provide relief to renters across the country.' The Greens say Labor's approach to the housing crisis has been inadequate and that stronger intervention is required to protect renters from further cost increases. The party does not specify the legal mechanism for a national rent freeze, the duration of the proposed freeze, or how it would interact with existing state and territory tenancy laws in this media release.

In a media release dated 7 August 2026, the Australian Greens call on Women's Safety Ministers to commit an additional $4.6B to address the shortfall in social housing that the party says would allow women escaping violence to have a secure place to live. The party states that women and children experiencing family and domestic violence are the largest cohort using homelessness services, with over 100,000 seeking support each year, and that 'housing and homelessness is a women's safety issue.' The release quotes Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens and Spokesperson on Women, as saying that unaffordable housing and shortages of crisis and transitional housing leave women and children with nowhere to go. The Greens also say state and federal governments should fully fund frontline services, increase Leaving Violence Payments to $7,500, and remove barriers to access for Centrelink crisis payments. The release attributes figures — including nearly 12,000 women and children missing out on short-term accommodation each year, 40 per cent of homelessness services closing their doors to new clients at least once a fortnight, and at least 6 women turned away from services every night in NSW — to data the party cites, and these figures are reported as the party's claims. The party does not specify in the release how the $4.6B would be delivered or which budget measures would fund it.

Evidence review

Tax and cost of living

The Greens' 'Tackle the cost of living' page, dated 11 July 2025, states that the party wants to 'take on corporate greed and political donations from big corporations driving up prices.' The party says '1 in 3 big corporations pay no tax at all' and that 'Labor and the Liberals take millions in donations from the same corporations.' The Greens propose a more progressive tax system that the party says would reduce costs for households.

The 23 June 2026 media release is the Greens' most recent tax policy statement. The party announces it has 'today resolved to support the government's first tranche of tax changes to pass the Senate this fortnight' after securing amendments. The Greens state they 'secured an amendment to prevent wealthy property investors from exploiting a loophole' and 'removed ministerial discretions that would have allowed a Minister to wind back these reforms.' The party criticises Labor's tax package for 'locking in over $30 billion in tax handouts per year from Australia's budget to the wealthy property investors.'

The party does not specify its full alternative tax proposal or the total revenue it expects from closing corporate tax loopholes on these pages. The Greens do not quantify the cost of their proposed cost-of-living measures across all five issue areas, or specify how these measures would be funded outside the tax package amendment described. The party does not specify whether it would retain or modify the stage three tax cuts in their current form.

Evidence review

Climate and energy

The Greens' 'Strong Climate Action' page, dated 15 September 2025, states that 'this moment demands strong climate action.' The party says 'Labor has approved over 25 more coal and gas projects while in office, while the Liberals' commitment to fossil fuels remains stronger than ever.' The Greens state that both major parties 'take millions in donations from coal and gas corporations to fund their election campaigns' and are 'working for their donors, not for people, our planet or the future.'

The party proposes ambitious climate action and states that 'with the Greens in the balance of power in the Senate, this parliament has a real opportunity to deliver strong climate action.' The environment portfolio page states the Greens are 'committed to transformative environmental change, driven by stronger laws, better funding, and innovative leadership.' On its pages the party says it wants to end new coal and gas approvals and accelerate the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy.

The Greens do not specify a target year for achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity on the reviewed pages. The party does not provide independently accessible costings for the transition pathway it proposes. The Greens do not state a position on nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, or the role of natural gas as a transition fuel in the reviewed source pages. The party's climate page predates the current 2026 energy debate and does not address the most recent Safeguard Mechanism reforms.

A July 2026 Greens media release states that Labor's claimed 'fair return' on gas exports means nothing without stronger action on fossil fuel approval. The party says continuing to approve new gas projects undermines climate commitments and that the government is 'taking millions in donations from coal and gas corporations to fund their election campaigns.' The Greens state that Labor must stop approving new coal and gas projects and accelerate the transition to renewable energy. The party does not specify an alternative gas export framework or detail the economic transition pathway for affected communities in this release.

Evidence review

Healthcare

The Greens' 'Healthcare for All' page, dated 23 July 2025, states the party's position that 'in a wealthy country like ours, everyone should have access to the healthcare they need, when they need it.' The party says 'too many people are unable to see their GP, struggle to access mental health services, or can't afford the dental care they require.' The Greens state that 'Greens pressure works — we've already pushed Labor to make GP visits free' and propose to 'finish the job: expanding Medicare to cover dental, mental health, and assessments for ADHD and autism.'

The 16 July 2026 NDIS media release is the Greens' most recent healthcare-related public statement. The party says 'Labor's NDIS cuts will be disastrous for disabled kids and autistic people, with almost 145,000 autistic people to lose their supports.' The party states that two-thirds of the 241,000 people the party says may lose NDIS eligibility over five years 'will be children' and that support services include 'speech therapy, to build social skills, strengthen independence and help kids attend school.' The Greens say 'alternatives do not currently exist for kids.'

The Greens do not specify the total cost of adding dental and mental health to Medicare on the reviewed pages. The party does not provide a timeline for universal dental coverage or state the mechanism for funding expanded Medicare. The Greens do not specify their position on the $9 billion Coalition Medicare commitment, bulk billing incentives, or the 60-day prescription changes in the pages reviewed.

Evidence review

Migration

The Australian Greens do not publish a dedicated migration policy page among their reviewed source material. The party's Policy Principles and Aims page, dated 6 May 2025, outlines broad values including 'ecological sustainability, grassroots democracy, social justice and peace and non-violence,' but does not specify migration intake targets or visa program settings. The Greens' portfolio and issue pages covering housing, health, climate, and cost of living do not contain dedicated migration sections.

The party's cost-of-living page discusses corporate taxation and economic inequality without addressing the role of migration in labour supply or housing demand. The environment portfolio page addresses First Nations conservation without addressing refugee or humanitarian migration policy. The Greens do not state a position on the permanent migration intake, temporary skilled migration, international student policy, or the Australian Values Migration Plan proposed by the Coalition.

The party does not specify whether it supports the current skilled migration occupation lists or the Labor government's migration strategy. On asylum seeker policy, the Greens do not address offshore processing, boat turnbacks, or community detention in the reviewed source pages. The Greens' migration position is not specified in the party's most current source material available for review on 7 August 2026.

Common questions

Before you rely on the answer