Politicians aren’t usually gamblers. It’s rare for leaders to advocate unpopular or controversial policies and bet on their own ability to sway voters.
But this week’s Capital Brief/DemosAU poll suggests Anthony Albanese has notched win from his gamble to break his election promises on housing in this year’s budget.
Before the 2025 election, Albanese promised not to alter negative gearing or capital gains tax. Yet his budget — as Capital Brief readers would have read ad nauseum — reduced the capital gains tax discount for residential property and limited negative gearing to new homes.
The conservative parties labelled Albanese a liar whose word could not be trusted, warning the changes would reduce home values and make it harder to build wealth through property investment.
