Marooned in paradise: Albanese and the summit that could not have come at a worse time

Updated November 5, 2026 — 10:44am,first published 8:56am

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St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda: Nothing showed the utter isolation of Anthony Albanese and his fellow Commonwealth leaders quite like their retreat on the final day of their gathering in the Caribbean.

The leaders stepped onto chartered boats to reach a private island where they could talk at a luxury resort secluded from everyone else at the Commonwealth meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.

Albanese did not choose the venue. As prime minister, he was right to join the other leaders at a forum Australia has supported for decades. He did not stay on the private island – his hotel was the same seaside resort as his British counterpart, Andy Burnham – and he headed for the airport to get home as soon as the retreat was over.

But the gathering at Jumby Bay Island sent all the wrong signals about the Commonwealth leaders when so many of their citizens are suffering from declining living standards.

And that is a problem for Albanese when the Reserve Bank says its latest interest rate hike will feel like a recession to many households.

What possessed the Commonwealth to do this? The leaders were on an island where Oprah Winfrey is rumoured to own a private chateau. A modern “cottage” at one of the hotels, with space for four people and a private pool, costs $US8200 per night (about $11,700) for those who want to book it for this Monday.

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© The Sydney Morning Herald