Anthony Albanese refuses to weigh in on cost of living battle between 1960s and now

Anthony Albanese has refused to weigh in on whether times were tougher when he was a child or now, as Australians continue to be slammed by a cost-of-living crunch.

Describing the question as a “word game”, the Prime Minister said life in the 1960s was “pretty tough”, when pushed on whether his comparison to his life growing up was still relatable for Australian families in 2024.

Pressures continue to climb for Australian families, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers blaming the Reserve Bank for a run of 13 rate rises for “smashing” household budgets and the economy.

Cost of living is set to be the dominant issue in the Federal election campaign, due by May next year.

Speaking in Perth on Tuesday, the comments came after he was pushed if, as Prime Minister, he was still able to relate to Australians struggling to make ends meet, amid soaring costs and the difficult housing market.

Pushed on whether times were tougher when he was growing up, Mr Albanese declined to draw a comparison.

“In the 1960s a lot of people were doing it pretty tough,” Mr Albanese said.

“People who are doing it tough are doing it tough, and they deserve respect, and they deserve respect, rather than games, I get that people are doing it tough.

“Throughout our history, from time to time, there will be people in the community who do it really hard, and they have my thoughts with them.”

As Mr Albanese has done repeatedly in the past, he drew on his childhood, growing up as the son of a single mother, living in public housing in Sydney.

“Like other politicians, and dare I say it, like senior journalists are in a position of privilege. We accept that,” he said.

“I grew up in a household where every single dollar mattered, with a mum on an invalid pension struggling for every fortnight to pay she managed to come through. I know what it’s like to do it tough.

“Do Prime Ministers do it tough financially — the truth is, no, we don’t.”

Mr Albanese’s salary of almost $587,000 is almost eight times the average full-time wage of an Australian worker.

Mr Albanese insisted he was approachable, saying he was someone who only engaged in “controlled” situations, pointing to a visit to a Mount Lawley cafe on Tuesday where he spoke with customers about issues they wanted to discuss.

“I engage, each and every day with Australians,” he said.

“I walk through supermarkets. I walk through shopping centres, and that is a part of the way that you keep in touch with the concerns which are there, and I know people are doing it tough.

The Prime Minister described his Government’s decision to overhaul the stage three tax cuts to give more widespread relief to Australians as “not easy, but right”, before listing Labor’s other cost of living measures.