The political failure of Anthony Albanese’s coastal mansion purchase is all about timing

The political failure of Albanese’s $4.3m home purchase is all about timing.

There are two unequivocal things to say about Anthony Albanese’s decision to buy a $4.3 million cliff top, ocean view home on the NSW Central Coast. The first is — good on him. Well done for living the Australian dream of home ownership and getting there on his own.

The second is this — this has to be the dumbest, most damaging piece of political tone deafness and timing since Tony Abbott appointed Prince Philip as a “Knight of the Order of Australia” in the Australia Day honours’ list in 2015.

Prime ministers can’t win when it comes to buying property, owning shares or going on overseas holidays, no matter what the circumstances or how justified they may be.

Taxpayers look at PMs being given two of the most prestigious houses in Australia in which to live as well as the 24-hour care, catering and top end transport that goes with them.

John Howard and Bob Hawke always went on modest Australian holidays while Scott Morrison paid a heavy price for deciding to go to Hawaii.

But the political failure of Albanese’s decision to buy the $4 million-plus house with his fiancee is all about timing. During a cost-of-living and housing crisis, which has been rolling for years and is the public’s prime concern and should be the government’s top priority, the appearance of a multimillion-dollar purchase following Albanese’s withdrawal of his $1.4 million Dulwich Hill investment house from sale on the weekend, is appalling.

No matter what Albanese says to justify the purchase, it’s a bad political look that makes him appear out of touch with people renting and trying to buy their own home. It also raises the immediate thought that it’s a retirement parachute for after the election.

On Tuesday Albanese defended the purchase by saying he knew “what it is to struggle” and cited his well known personal story of being the only child of a single mother on a pension in housing commission accommodation.

“I have, of course, I am much better off – as a Prime Minister, I earn a good income,” he said. “I understand that. I understand that I’ve been fortunate.”

He also had to immediately deny he was preparing for retirement and intended to be re-elected.

But no number of repetitions of the South Sydney log cabin story will repair the political damage of this bad timing.

After Abbott was criticised by just about everyone — including his cabinet colleagues — for the bizarre Australia Day announcement of Prince Philip’s Australian knighthood he tried to justify it and ultimately let it be known he thought the Queen wanted it.

Abbott, and Morrison, made decisions they thought were justified and were not unreasonable — unfortunately it is a harsh reality and an unforgiving public attitude that demands prime ministers be seen to be in touch with the concerns of voters and not have a personal life.