Labor ministers are publicly supporting Anthony Albanese’s decision to buy a multi-million pound beachfront property – one even went so far as to describe it as the start of his “new life” – while the opposition describes the moment as “tone deaf”.
The Prime Minister and his fiancée Jodie Haydon bought the $4.3 million four-bedroom home in Copacabana, on the New South Wales Central Coast, ahead of the couple’s wedding.
But the timing – amid a housing crisis – has been called into question, as the federal government seeks to push affordable property measures through parliament.
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said the Prime Minister had the right to make private decisions about property purchases, and came to his defense in effusive terms.
“He’s about to embark on a new life with his incredible fiancée,” he told Seven’s Sunrise program on Wednesday.
“This man leads an Australian government that is bolder and more ambitious in addressing Australia’s housing needs than we have been in many decades,” he said.
“I understand the interest, but we are trying to address the housing issue that affects millions of people across the country.”
But behind the scenes, MPs were allegedly delivering a very different verdict, with one Labor MP telling the Sydney Morning Herald they were “stunned” and another criticizing the timing of the purchase as “f***ing terrible”.
“I can’t think of a greater act of self-sabotage in my life,” one of them said.
Albanese said on Tuesday he and his partner had bought the property to be closer to Haydon’s family, who are from the Central Coast.
Albanese will share the house with his fiancée Jodie Haydon, whose family lives in the area.
Mr. Albanese’s new five-bedroom home features views of the Pacific Ocean from almost every room
But while opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said Albanese had the right to a personal life, there were concerns about the purchase coinciding with the housing debate.
“I have a problem with the timing, and this is tone-deaf during a housing crisis,” he told Seven’s Sunrise.
“The Prime Minister has every right to plan for his retirement, but I think there are many Australians and probably some of his colleagues who would like this to happen sooner rather than later.”
Albanese denied that the house had been purchased for early retirement.
The prime minister said his parliamentary register of interests would be updated once the sale was completed and rejected suggestions that the purchase had sent the wrong signal.
“I understand that I’ve been lucky, but I also know what it’s like to struggle,” he said Tuesday.
‘My mother lived in the only public housing apartment she was born in for all of her 65 years.
“I know what it’s like, and that’s why I want to help all Australians get a home, whether public, private or rented or owned.”
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said criticism of the Prime Minister was unfair.
Chris Bowen also came to Albanese’s defence, stating that most average Australians would say “fair enough, good for the guy, leave him alone”.
‘You have every right to plan a property portfolio. That’s what he’s doing, and most Australians, average Australians, will say, “Fair enough, good for the guy, leave him alone,” he told ABC radio.
“Anthony does it when he sells a property, he does it when he offers a vacation rental to his tenants, he does it when he buys a property.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud said it was a matter for the Prime Minister.
“The prime minister has every right to buy a house and prepare for his retirement,” he told ABC TV.
“I hope that through popular demand that in six months I can use it, because it will be retired by the Australian people,” he said.
“Most politicians at the end of politics can’t afford it, in terms of the salary we have, but the Prime Minister has made smart decisions and he shouldn’t be brought down for it.”
The next federal election will be held in May and housing will dominate the campaign.
The government has tried to get parliament through policies allowing first-home buyers to have a lower deposit on a property, but the coalition and the Greens have blocked this in the Senate.