Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come under attack from every side after buying a multi-million-dollar waterfront home amid a national housing crisis.  The clifftop property in Copacabana, north of his hometown of Sydney, was purchased for A$4.3 million ($2.9 million, £2.2 million).  However, the news of his purchase comes just months before an election, when housing and cost of living are two significant issues.

The purchase has drawn fire from his political opponents, who called it “tone deaf.” Some members of his party expressed their astonishment anonymously and said they were “gobsmacked” by his decision.  Albanese maintained that he wanted to be nearer to his fiancée, Jodie Haydon, and her family.  He accepted he was privileged and understood what it meant to face hardships, as my mother lived in the same public housing home for all her 65 years.

With Albanese at the helm, the Labor government established a $10 billion investment fund for social and affordable housing.  However, this government was thwarted in its attempts to push through its housing initiatives by the Australian Greens and some independents who demanded more ambitious policies.

Research has shown that Australian cities have some of the worst housing affordability in the world, and Sydney is second only to Hong Kong.  Though about two-thirds of Australian households own homes, parliamentary disclosure reveals that approximately 95% of sitting federal politicians possess at least one residential property, with about a third owning three or more.

While some of his colleagues have endorsed Albanese, several others have anonymously voiced their discontent, suggesting that his decision is disconnected from public sentiment.  A Labor MP says it could devastate their prospects at the next election against Greens candidates.

Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said we need better protections for renters and reform on tax incentives that work for property investors.  He was talking about a system that allows very few to buy the expensive, while many others cannot afford a roof over their heads.

Liberal Senator Jane Hume said Albania was entitled to a private life but called the timing “tone deaf” given Australia’s housing crisis.  Opposition Leader Peter Dutton did not go on the attack against Albanese directly but said many Australians needed welfare to keep up with their mortgages.

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