Opened the debate
Waters argued that ninety-six per cent of Australian rentals were unaffordable for essential workers, citing a specific example of a nurse and electrician on the Sunshine Coast who formed a community group to secure housing. Waters contended that the Labor government had refused to implement bold measures to address the housing, cost-of-living, and climate crises. Waters asserted that this failure to act created conditions that allowed One Nation to gain traction by fostering division and fear. Waters claimed that major parties served the interests of billionaires and large corporations rather than the general public. Waters encouraged voters to support the Greens, arguing that they offered a genuine alternative to the status quo and that collective solidarity could challenge corporate power.