Andrew Bolt: Anthony Albanese doesn’t have much further to fall
Voters are no longer going to buy the idea that Anthony Albanese knows their struggles as he relaxes in his new home with its magnificent ocean views. For the first time his own ministers are telling journalists he has no judgment.
Andrew Bolt
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Anthony Albanese on Tuesday reached the death zone in a prime minister’s fall. For the first time, his own ministers are telling journalists he has no judgement.
That was about the kindest thing they were saying about this broken leader.
Labor-friendly journalists on the ABC, shocked, told of Albanese’s colleagues also calling him “selfish” for buying a $4.3m beach house on NSW’s Central Coast.
Other Labor MPs – again anonymous – vented in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I can’t think of a greater act of self-sabotage in my life,” said one. “This is f---ing terrible.”
“Not a good look,” complained another.
A line has now been crossed – both by Albanese and the Labor MPs he pretends to lead.
I said on Monday that Albanese’s authority was already destroyed when Australians a year ago rejected his racist Voice. Albanese was exposed as politically clueless, unpersuasive, unfocused and strangely disengaged.
But until this week his colleagues stayed disciplined, as if expecting Albanese to bounce back with an agenda that might finally wow voters, smashed by inflation and falling living standards.
True, there were signs of fraying patience. Treasurer Jim Chalmers last month struck out on his own and asked Treasury to work out the figures if he cut negative gearing, to Albanese’s obvious surprise.
But only this week did that discipline truly break, with widespread leaking by Labor politicians of their anger and frustration with Albanese. Not coincidentally, it came the day after Newspoll for the first time had Labor behind the Coalition.
Some Labor spokesmen have tried to publicly defend Albanese’s decision to buy an expensive beachfront house at Copacabana, of all the frivolous names.
“Leave him alone,” pleaded Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Buying a house ahead of his marriage was Albanese’s private business.
Except that’s not quite true. Just look at the intense media coverage since, all totally predictable. Almost all negative.
Sure, Albanese’s nice house has inflamed Australia’s ugly tall-poppy jealously. That said, Labor has for decades exploited the politics of envy, so I’m short of sympathy.
But there’s more to this anti-Albanese backlash than mere envy, or a suspicion that Albanese is checking out of politics for more beach time.
Back when he was running against Bill Shorten to be the Labor leader – back when we still spoke – I told Albanese to give more speeches mentioning he was raised in a housing commission flat by a single mother on a disability pension.
Sorry for that. He’s since overdone it to prove he really is a man of the people who understands battlers and their struggles to buy groceries and a house.
How often have you heard him tell that story? It’s so critical to the Albanese image that his personal web page features “My Story”, which starts: “This is what drives me. My mum raised me in public housing as a single parent.”
Even on Tuesday, defending his house purchase, he told it again: “I also know what it is like to struggle. My mum lived in the one public housing that she was born in for all of her 65 years.”
He added: “I know what it is like, which is why I want to help all Australians into a home.”
And there we get to the real problem.
Compared to many past prime ministers – Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd, Paul Keating, Bob Hawke – Albanese is not rich, but his I-grew-up-in-a-shoebox shtick is now dead-dead-dead.
As of this week, it’s going to grate. Voters aren’t going to buy what Albanese is trying to sell by telling that story – that he’s one of them, and knows the struggles they’re going through as he relaxes on his balcony with its magnificent ocean views.
No, his colleagues are right. Albanese has hurt his party. He was selfish to buy this house at this time, when millions of Australians are struggling to afford a roof over their own head.
The thing is, Albanese is no longer like the battlers. Buying this $4.3m home on the beach was naturally going to make millions of voters compare his finances to theirs, and feel like losers.
Worse, many would work out that Albanese is to blame, in part, because he’s made it harder for them to afford a house of their own.
Look at the inflation that’s making us poorer. Whose government made that worse with its wild spending, and with its union-friendly laws, green tape and race laws that destroy our productivity?
Then there’s Albanese’ insane immigration policy. He’s still letting in nearly half a million people a year, when building approvals have dropped to their lowest level in a decade – less than 160,000 homes a year.
No wonder that homes in our capital cities have become so scarce and expensive.
There’s where Albanese has gone so wrong. Just before an election he buys a showy house that reminds voters how hard he’s made it for them to buy anything at all.
No wonder his MPs now think he’s lost the plot.
Originally published as Andrew Bolt: Anthony Albanese doesn’t have much further to fall
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