An essential poll has just revealed that three quarters of Australia believes that rents should be capped or frozen until economic conditions improve. This stands at odds with the political elite of the major parties, which remain locked into refusing to countenance any move that will interfere with the bottom line of the real estate industry and landlords.

The overwhelming response to the survey is hardly surprising when a large part of the nation is facing a worsening cost of living crisis, and renters are among the most affected.

It is the Greens who are leading the call for a turn in direction in the parliament. They are slowly winning support for their effort to win a frieze on rent rises, as part of their policy to secure a far more generous provision for social and public housing. Supporters of any party should be able to concede this, whether they agree with it or not.

Opponents are mischievously and wrongly accusing the Greens of sabotaging moves to improve housing affordability. But the controversy already raised has pushed the Albanese government and the states to raise the target. It is up to 1.2 million new homes over 5 years.

Critics have good reason to point out this is not as good as it appears, given that much of the outlay will be directed towards the bottom line for developers, rather than making housing cheaper. The other weakness is that it is founded on the illusion that the problem is one of insufficient supply.

The real problem is insufficient availability. This means that people have been priced out of the available supply, because of a property price bubble driven by other factors.

Nevertheless, the fact that government is compelled to up the game is a positive change. This is raising community expectations. Government faces the pressure of meeting these expectations.

Rent control will grow into becoming a major political issue until it can no longer be ignored.

Australia’s political leaders have a low level of approval. There is a combination of reason for this. Anthony Albanese has just 35 percent approval, while Peter Dutton’s is down to 17 percent. No matter which way this is viewed, it is inescapable that most of Australia is offside, and this translates into an emerging political crisis.

Federal and state elections are showing a tend towards increasing difficulty in either major party forming a government. Without doing and being seen to do much more to alleviate the cost of living crisis, the popularity stakes are set to fall much further. Nothing will drive this more strongly than a still rising cost of housing.

Rising anger against the failure of sufficient action could be the factor that eventually forces the government’s hand, whether it be that led by Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, or anyone else. The other possible alternative is the collapse of the property bubble and crash of property prices.

Campaigners for affordable housing are gearing up to fight harder. Expect more noise. Expect more effort to raise the need for appropriate rent control across Australia.

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The latest Guardian Essential poll pinpointed some telling truths about how Australians feel about where Australia is heading and how our political leaders are responding to the challenges of the day. This is just one poll, of course, and one poll can never tell the whole truth.

But this one does make sense. It represents what many polls have been saying and other evidence is backing. What is notable about this poll, is the extent to which the alienation of our political leaders from society stands now.

Being the Prime Minister, means that Anthony Albanese has seen his approval fall to the lowest point since the 2022 election. The opinion is that he is not doing enough to tackle the high cost of rentals (68 percent), and especially the overall rising cost of living (75 percent).

About Australia not going in the right direction overall. Well, the poll shows that the opinion of 47 percent of Australia believes this is the wrong one. Another 21 percent are unsure. Only 38 percent believe the direction is the right one. This is important. It tells us that Australia is pessimistic about the future.

Remembering that towards the end of the Morrison government, 40 percent believed Australia was then heading in the right direction puts the present situation into some context. The number was a low number then and it is even lower today.

Add to this that majority (51 percent) now believes that not enough is being done about the environment. Preoccupation with concern over bread-and-butter economic issues hasn’t sent this in the other direction.

Labor is in the firing line by virtue of being in government. they are perceived as failing to deliver enough on what the community expected. This is cold comfort for the Coalition. Their leader, Peter Dutton, remains somewhat more unpopular, with only 27 percent seeing him in a positive light.

But over focus on personalities, and even political parties, detracts from hat is even more important. Australia is losing faith in the whole set up. This poll and other evidenceshows the younger the person, the more likely he or she will feel alienated.

The Essential Poll does not try to explain why Australia feels the way, and consequently it avoids some critical matters. especially that the institutions that our political leaders operate in do does not meet the needs of the day. Chief among these is that Australia np longer believes that the political institutions and those operating within them meet the needs of Australia.

Anyone should be able to see that most are feeling the bite of a poorly performing economy. Living standards are continuing to fall. Prices go up and the gap between them and income keeps on widening. The younger are the worst off, and a permanent decent job, one’s own home, and future opportunities overall have become unattainable. And they expect to be the ones to wear the main brunt of the effects of climate change.

Political leaders are perceived to not be listening and not caring a jolt about the needs of ordinary people. Politicians are increasingly seen as opportunists fawning at the table of the powerful. Australia yearns to be heard and its needs met.

The absence of both is a recipe for political polarisation, and we are already seeing an element of this at federal and state elections, where the support base for the major parties is shrinking. If this continues, the chances are that new political trends towards the left and right will become more entrenched and grow. A growing proportion of alienated Australia inevitably seeks for new answers to the real problems it faces.

This is not necessarily bad. It can bring opportunities, through a transforming involvement of many in the rise of a new politics and institutions that value real and active democracy, build unity, empower all, and deliver in the interests of the majority.

Isn’t this a worthwhile goal to work towards?

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The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) has released a Pre-Budget Brief that shows how women’s economic security has been undermined by government decisions.

It is clear. women have faced the worst in the changes to the tax system, income support ant superannuation.

But the claim that there has been too much focus on job generation in male dominated industries does not hold up. There has been far too little attention to genuine job creation across the board. This does not take from the good work ACOSS does., and it is hoped, pointing this out is aimed at contributing to a better understanding.

Some industries like manufacturing, which and infrastructure building add the value to the economy that funds the provision of services, such as health care, childcare, and education, and much more. It is the taxes of those who have jobs that pays for it all.

This does not mean that these services mainly employing women should not be better funded. Society needs it, and those working in them deserve to be properly paid and treated.

ACOSS is right to say that jobs creation should be a priority over tax cuts for the wealthy and big business, and that the gap between men and women must be closed.

They are also right in saying that social security must be lifted to take people out of poverty, and in the worst cases, homelessness. Women are often the worst affected. The best way to answer this is to join with more to call for a living income and equality.

Women are disadvantaged in superannuation, because they are often on lower wages and do not stay in the same job for as long. This could be solved through equal wages and legislation that guarantees complete portability of superannuation.

Another change would be to increase the supply of affordable housing. A system of free childcare that is large enough to allow both parents greater scope in finding work would especially advantage women.

Unfortunately, the ACOSS response continues to make this an issue between women and men. It should be that the wages and social security systems are designed to cause the problem. It is employers and the government that are failing.

Implying that men are the problem is divisive and will not lead to equality for women.

ACOSS needs to rethink and seek to draw allies, including men, into this cause for women’s economic security

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