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October 18, 2024
Tanya Plibersek considered a potential future Labor leader has declared Anthony Albanese will "100 per cent" run a full term if he wins the next federal election, amid speculation he's planning for retirement after purchasing a $4.3m cliffside home on the NSW central coast.
Asked on Sky News if she expected Mr Albanese to last a full second term, the Environment Minister said: "100 per cent. Absolutely. He is very committed to the job. He's very committed to serving the people of Australia. I don't doubt that he's there for the long haul."
Ms Plibersek, a former deputy leader under Bill Shorten, also said she didn't want to look at negative gearing again, while refusing to say if she'd make a tilt for the Labor leadership if Mr Albanese lost the election, which is due by May.
As Labor MPs push for negative gearing changes to be put on the table in the wake of Mr Albanese's new investment, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declared "no doors have been opened" to making changes to the tax concession before polling day.
"No. And no doors have been opened here. We're not doing negative gearing. That's been made manifestly clear and none of that has changed," Mr Marles said on Sky.
"Not only have I done that, the Prime Minister has made that clear. And, you know, obviously, I mean, obviously none of this changes that. The Prime Minister is entitled to his own private life.
But each and every day we are focused on cost-of-living pressures and we have a whole lot of policies in the space of housing."
Attempting to capitalise on the division over Mr Albanese's luxury beachside pad, Peter Dutton said there was "no way in the world" the Prime Minister would serve out a full term if re-elected.
"It's obvious now that the leaking and the positioning against the Prime Minister has well and truly started. So we're back into the Rudd-Gillard years," the Opposition Leader told 2GB radio.
Mr Dutton said that Mr Albanese's home purchase showed he and his fiancee were moving to the "next phase of their life".
"There are plenty of people who retire to beachside spots," he said. "That's obviously what the Prime Minister's got in mind. It's not in his electorate, far from it."
Coalition frontbencher James Paterson said calls from Labor MPs to revisit negative gearing was an attempt "to distract from what they themselves are calling the Prime Minister's 'Hawaii moment' ".
"The Prime Minister is a unique figure in the Australian political system in that he has not one but two taxpayer-funded homes. They're pretty nice. In fact, one of them has got great waterside views, if that's what you're looking for," Senator Paterson told Sky News.
"The only reason for the Prime Minister to be splashing out like this on a $4.3m clifftop home is because he is contemplating his retirement and sooner rather than later."
While the Prime Minister has made clear in recent weeks that he is not contemplating adding negative gearing and capital gains tax overhauls to Labor's housing election manifesto, Treasury is working on options that would help counter the Greens' housing scare campaign.
Government sources told The Australian negative gearing modelling conducted by Treasury examined scenarios focused on the number of homes owned and property values, potentially up to $1.5m. It is understood options include capping access to negative gearing at two properties.
