Former prime minister John Howard famously said no voter ever complained about rising house prices. The Albanese government is about to find out how badly the electorate might howl if prices keep falling.Labor’s sensitivity on the issue is clear. On Monday, as the nation digested the fourth consecutive month of house price falls, the government showed it is suddenly stuck between taking credit for deliberately tilting the market back towards younger first home buyers, and calming concerns about a bigger price correction.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Politics of falling house prices will get uglier as downturn builds
Labor wants to have a bet each way on house price falls. But if price declines continue – and they will – the political pain will build as the economy slows.






