Something obvious happens. Then Albo shamelessly says 'no, it didn't': PETER VAN ONSELEN's list proves PM's worst habit

Detailed summary

Anthony Albanese has a stubborn habit of treating the obvious as something Australians can be talked out of even noticing.

Published: 03:11 GMT, 12 November 2026 | Updated: 03:22 GMT, 12 November 2026

Anthony Albanese has a stubborn habit of treating the obvious as something Australians can be talked out of even noticing.

Extracting a straightforward acknowledgement from this Prime Minister now requires an exhausting argument about the meaning of ordinary words.

A promise changes, a policy collapses. Even a stumble captured on camera is denied, as though the truth can bend to Albo's liking.

Albo's loose relationship with the truth explains why the latest Resolve poll found that only one in five voters trust the PM. Once trust is lost, it can be extremely difficult to win it back.

The pattern of Albo's denials and misdirection stretches across his time in power over the past four and a half years.

Back in March 2023, Albo announced higher taxes on earnings in superannuation accounts above $3million, having gone to the election saying Labor had no intention of making changes to super.

Was that a broken promise? 'No it's not,' he insisted. His defence was that the change would take effect after the following election, even though it was legislated before it.

Albo has a stubborn habit of treating the obvious as something Australians can be talked out of even noticing. Pictured, he is assisted after falling during the 2025 federal election campaign

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Mail. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.