Anthony Albanese has promised that “things are going to get better” for millions of Australians struggling during the cost of living crisis.
The Prime Minister and his fiancée, Jodie Haydon, showed they understood what ordinary Australians were going through this week when Ms Haydon wore the same dress to the Midwinter Ball that she had worn two years earlier.
Mr. Albanese also appeared keen to avoid negative attention during the prolonged cost-of-living crisis, opting to wear a simple black suit on Wednesday night.
He continued with an interview with the Daily Telegraph on Saturday, touting his cost-of-living relief measures and dropping a major hint about when his wedding to Ms Haydon might be set.
“It’s going to get better because we’ve been very conscious about implementing short-term cost-of-living relief that’s immediate in a way that improves the economy in the medium term,” he said..
The number one message the government wants to get across is that Stage Three tax cuts finally arrived this week, along with relief on electricity bills.
“Every Australian’s paycheck from this week is higher and they have more money to cope with cost of living pressures,” Albanese said.
He said he and Ms Haydon have not yet set a date for their wedding but have “no intention of having an elaborate, over-the-top wedding”.
The Prime Minister and his fiancée Jodie Haydon (pictured) showed they understand what ordinary Australians are going through this week when Ms Haydon wore the same dress to the Midwinter Ball that she had worn two years earlier.
The Prime Minister said he was by no means certain that Labor would win the federal election in May, but if it did, his wedding could be “in the second term”.
“We haven’t set a definitive date yet,” Albanese said.
Australia’s 13.6 million taxpayers got tax relief on July 1, but Labor’s revisions to the plan initially put forward by the previous coalition government mean more benefits for low- and middle-income earners.
Part-time workers earning $45,000 a year — or less than the new full-time minimum wage of $47,627 — are receiving $805 a year instead of nothing.
Those earning $80,000 (slightly more than the average salary of $74,500) receive $1,679 instead of $875.
And everyone, regardless of income, will receive $300 in electricity rebates starting July 1, in four quarterly installments of $75.
The $300 figure may have been chosen because it fits perfectly with Albanese’s claim in the 2022 election that a Labor government would cut energy prices by $275.
But with inflation rising and the serious prospect of another rate rise that Australia’s 3.8 million households with mortgages can ill afford, the Prime Minister still insisted the tax cuts would make “a real difference to people”.
He noted that along with tax and energy bill relief, wages, pensions and paid parental leave have also increased under his administration.
“This way, people earn more and then they can keep a larger share of what they earn, which is very significant,” Albanese said.
The Prime Minister said the housing crisis, which has led to massive rent increases and a decreasing ability of people on average incomes to afford housing, needs to be addressed with better planning and higher densities in major cities.
Australia’s 13.6 million taxpayers got tax relief on July 1, but Labor’s revisions to the plan initially put forward by the previous coalition government mean more benefits for low- and middle-income earners.
He said the issue had been neglected for too long and there needed to be more housing around train stations and transport corridors.
Mr Albanese also said the government wants to “help developers build rental housing, especially affordable housing”.
“We need to take advantage of every opportunity to increase the housing supply.”
Although his government could last until May 2024, there has been growing talk lately that there could be elections before the end of the year.
He attempted to dispel the rumors by saying he believes three-year terms for the federal government are too short, but he did not rule them out entirely.
“The idea of running for office next month is certainly not on my mind,” he said, leaving open the option of an election at the end of 2024.