The controversial changes the Greens will push on housing reform

"The evidence is in front of our eyes," the newly appointed housing spokesperson for the Greens said of the rough sleepers and those who have pitched tents in the city.

Once accessible, Adelaide is now second to Sydney as the most unaffordable city in Australia, and the sixth least affordable in the world, according to the Demographia International Housing Affordability report.

But for Senator Pocock, the city of churches and her home state also has the model for housing abundance for the rest of Australia and how to get out of this crisis.

In an interview with The Canberra Times, the first since the election, the former academic economist pointed to the model of housing development seen in Whyalla and north of Adelaide, providing worker housing to the steelworks and the homes for those who built Commodores and Monaros at the Holden factory in Elizabeth.

In doing so, Senator Pocock acknowledges the collaboration of two former premiers at the opposing ends of the political spectrum.

"I think Thomas Playford and Don Dunstan would be rolling in their collective graves at what we are seeing here now; the crisis in South Australia, where we are as a country, a city and a state that led on public investment in housing, and we are now right at the back of the pack with unaffordable housing."

Citing two politicians working across the aisle on housing highlights where the federal housing agenda has become most challenging.

There was no love lost between the Greens' former housing spokesperson, Max Chandler-Mather and the Prime Minister, with the first-term MP decrying Parliament after the election as a "sick place", while Anthony Albanese said the Queensland MP's conduct was "offensive".

There is a different dynamic in the Senate, and Senator Pocock and Labor senator Deborah O'Neill worked together during the inquiries into PricewaterhouseCoopers, the duo a fearsome pair for corporate executives who wilted under parliamentary scrutiny.

But it has also been clear when the pair disagreed, with Senator Pocock submitting additional comments that went beyond the committee's recommendations of the first PwC inquiry.

Taking this approach into the contested waters of housing, Senator Pocock highlights working with former Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke on the right to disconnect, which she said was an evidence-based reform that depended upon cross-party agreement.

"I'm hoping that evidence will be relevant as we look at change in the housing sector, and I expect to be in vigorous discussion with Labor on that front."

Senator Pocock says the Greens have three priorities on housing.

First, a cap on rent and increased security for tenants. Second, removing tax incentives for investors, including negative gearing and capital gains tax. Third, investing in public housing, but with a focus on quality, as well as quantity.

These could put the parties on a collision course, with Labor previously ruling out changes to rent caps, as well as negative gearing and capital gains tax. Labor Housing Minister Clare O'Neil identified cutting red tape in the housing and construction sector, as a way for Labor to meet its ambitious 1.2 million homes target.

Senator Pocock acknowledges that regulatory reform is part of the solution, but said this does not address the core of the issue.

"I'm concerned that the regulation conversation is used as a smoke screen and distraction from the fundamentals which we need to change in relation to housing, and that is building more public housing, fixing the tax breaks and dealing with rent with rent caps," Senator Pocock said.

In a post-election interview, Mr Chandler-Mather explained how the Greens and Labor came to an agreement on housing, despite their parties being intractably opposed publicly.

"We made it very clear to Labor's Housing Minister in the negotiating room that we were willing to make concessions, and that we would settle for additional public housing funds."

Senator Pocock said she was open to negotiation with Minister O'Neil.

"[Minister O'Neil] said last week that she was keen to work with states and local government, with all the powers of persuasion and the many tools and levers available to the federal government in relation to housing, and she wanted to use those tools around regulation.

"Well if we can do it on relegation, we can do it in relation to a public discussion and federal leadership on rent caps."

As well as the housing portfolio, Senator Pocock retains her public service and employment roles.

After the 2022 election, Labor came to power with ambitious reform programs in both areas: rebuilding the APS and introducing a raft of industrial relations changes after the Jobs and Skills Summit.

This time around, Labor has been quieter on both fronts, signalling it believes the size of the public service is "about right" and mainly extending existing savings measures in consultancy spending and non-wage expenses.

While in industrial relations, Labor has initially focused on protecting existing penalty rates.

But Senator Pocock said she would be pushing for Labor to increase its ambition in both areas. In the public service, Senator Pocock said there was still work to do to respond to the revelations of the robodebt royal commission, including instituting merit-based appointments at the highest levels in the public sector to tackle issues of culture and leadership.

Another challenge the public service is yet to fully grapple with, Senator Pocock says, is the adoption of artificial intelligence. Senator Pocock said there were positives from the technology, but questions about risks.

"We did a small inquiry in relation to the federal public sector and AI late last year, and it just surfaced that we aren't governing it. We don't know its reach."

On workplace reform, Senator Pocock said the Treasurer's productivity agenda shouldn't stop at tax and regulatory reform, but also look at whether workers were receiving the benefit of productivity gains.

"I think the election saw Australians vote for a more flexible workplace. It saw Australians vote for work from home, not for everybody, not all the time, but it certainly was a vote to say our workplaces have changed. Our lives have changed, and workplace relations law needs to reflect that better."