Albanese’s chosen this moment to jettison his political caution. It’s a major gamble

April 6, 2026 — 5:00am

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For many months, pollsters, strategists and social researchers have warned the prime minister about the frustration and expectation brewing among Australians and the danger in disappointing them. With three sentences tucked into a half-hour speech on Thursday, Anthony Albanese signalled he’s got the message.

Since last year’s landslide election result, those who take the electorate’s temperature in detailed chats over sandwiches or Zoom have detected an unmistakable sentiment emerging among voters: the system – especially the tax system – doesn’t work for them any more.

This isn’t just among those on lower incomes. The so-called middle-class report feeling besieged. Month by month, that sense only worsens.

Underpinning it is a belief that no matter how hard you work, even if you’ve followed the traditional playbook and studied at university or learnt a trade or gone out and got yourself a stable job to try and save for a home, put a bit extra away and have something to hand on to the kids, you can’t get ahead. The system not only doesn’t help, it works against you. And a government with a whopping majority is doing nothing about it.

In uncertain times, when people conventionally crave stability, advocating change seems risky. Until now, Albanese has seemed disinclined to dramatic reform. But in the background, that’s been changing as more and more evidence suggests this cost-of-living crisis defies those conventions. On Thursday, it changed in public.

“Providing stability and security amidst uncertainty does not mean standing still while the world changes around........

© The Age