Anthony Albanese’s $4.3 million home purchase labelled ‘tone deaf’ as Chris Bowen admits optics not discussed

Anthony Albanese’s purchase of a $4.3 million oceanfront mansion has been blasted as “tone deaf” as a frontbencher admitted the optics of the move were not discussed with him.

The Prime Minister was forced to confirm on Tuesday he and partner Jodie Haydon were in the process of buying a $4.3 million mansion on the NSW Central Coast after media reported contracts had been exchanged for the property last month.

He said the deal would set up the couple, who are to wed after next year’s election, with property near Ms Haydon’s family.

Shadow minister Jane Hume said there were legitimate concerns about the purchase coinciding with the debate on housing.

“I have a problem with the timing, and this is tone-deaf during a housing crisis,” she told Seven’s Sunrise.

“The prime minister has every right to make plans for his retirement, but I think there are plenty of Australians and probably some of his colleagues that would like to see it happen sooner rather than later.”

Mr Albanese on Wednesday did not engage with several questions about how his Labor colleagues reacted to the news, insisting repeatedly he was focused on delivering his housing policies including passing the legislation stalled in the Senate.

“This is about helping 40,000 Australians into their own home and I can’t understand why the Liberals, the Nationals or the Greens don’t just vote for it. That’s my focus,” he told reporters in Hobart.

He hit out at shadow housing minister Michael Sukkar for having “bizarrely criticised” the delays in the rollout of the Housing Australia Future Fund — which the Coalition voted against — and the Help to Buy scheme that is the one now being held up in the Senate.

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen, asked on Wednesday if he was consulted about the purchase, said it was not discussed with him or any of his colleagues.

“Of course he didn’t and nor should he have,” he told ABC Radio.

“Every Australian is entitled to buy and sell property. Now Anthony cops it when he sells the property. He cops it when he provides a rent holiday to his tenants. He cops it when he buys a property. I think most average Australians say fair enough.”

Asked whether the PM should have workshopped the “optics” of the purchase with colleagues, Mr Bowen said they were not but nor would he have expected it, just as he didn’t discuss his finances with his boss.

Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley said while she wished Mr Albanese and Jodie well, it was Labor members who were backgrounding against their own Prime Minister, adding “no one loves to hate like Labor”.

Ms Ley told Sky News that reports of the home purchase came at the end of a “horror week” for the Prime Minister and “after a week like that, I’m not surprised that the Prime Minister’s Labor colleagues are starting to suggest that he’s out of touch, out of touch with ordinary Australians”.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil jumped to Mr Albanese’s defence, saying the Prime Minister was entitled to make his own decisions about buying property.

“He is about to embark on a new life with his incredible fiancée,” she told Seven’s Sunrise.

“He is the Prime Minister but he is also a human being who is about to embark on a new marriage. He is entitled to purchase property.”

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles deflected questions on the issue and told reporters in Perth what mattered more than a property deal was how the government had acted on inflation and cost of living and housing.

“The people have elected the Prime Minister and his government to act on their behalf in relation to cost of living,” he said.

“And I know, standing right next to the prime minister, that each and every day this is his number one focus.”

Asked if the purchase was “bad timing”, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he was “not going to give him free advice” but that the Prime Minister understood now that his purchase was the talk of Australia.

Cabinet minister Amanda Rishworth said Mr Albanese was far from the first politician to buy or sell property, while Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones labelled the discussion about the Prime Minister’s property deals a distraction.

Nationals leader David Littleproud pointed to potential retirement for Mr Albanese, saying he hoped the Prime Minister would be “retired by the Australian people” at the election.

“Most politicians at the end of the politics can’t afford that, in terms of the salary we have, but the prime minister has made smart decisions and he shouldn’t be brought down for that,” he said.