Months before an election where housing and living expenses are major concerns, Albanese made the acquisition.
His opponents have called the action “tone deaf,” while some members of his own party have told local media anonymously that it left them “gobsmacked.” The move has drawn criticism from people on all sides of the political spectrum.
Albanese justified his choice by claiming that he “knows what it is like to struggle” but that he purchased the opulent home on the Central Coast of New South Wales in order to be near his fiancée Jodie Haydon’s family.
According to property records, the Copacabana home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and three carports with spectacular views sold for A$4.3 million ($2.9 million, £2.2 million).
Albanese acknowledged that he was “better off” than many Australians because of his income, but he could still sympathize with their struggles during a housing press conference on the day that the news of his new home broke.
He told reporters that his mother spent her entire 65 years living in the same public housing [house] where she was born.
I want to assist all Australians in finding a home since I understand what it’s like.
A $10 billion investment fund for social and affordable housing has been established by Albanese’s Labor Party. However, the Australian Greens party and other independents have not supported it, which has made it difficult to pass additional housing programs through parliament.
