Was Albo’s $4.3M purchase poor judgment or just bad timing?

A possible election clanger hit the headlines this week, on the day Anthony Albanese was in Brisbane to make an housing announcement.

This yarn, broken by Sydney’s 2GB radio presenter Ben Fordham, was a housing announcement of a different kind. One that is surely ruffling more than a few feathers on the eve of a federal election campaign.

Put simply, if you missed it, the PM is in the middle of buying a $4.3M clifftop home on the New South Wales Central Coast. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom Copacabana property is located in the same area where Albo’s fiancee Jodie Haydon grew up.

One top Labor source has labelled the purchase as Albanese’s “Hawaii moment”, in reference to Scott Morrison’s infamous holiday during the 2019 bushfires. But isn’t our current leader entitled to do with his cash what he wants?

Yes, but it most likely won’t sit well with the millions of Aussies struggling to survive a cost of living crisis, to make mortgage payments, get food on the table and cover petrol bills.

It’s also pretty ballsy of the PM, considering his stance (or lack of) on negative gearing. He’s been tap dancing around pushing for reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax, not denying his government has sought advice on changing concessions.

So, can the prime minister get away with a cash splash on a beach pad, in the middle of a housing crisis, only months out from an election? Only the polls will tell.

I hope you enjoyed the read.

Matt Lancashire