Published: 15:22 BST, 25 August 2026 | Updated: 17:10 BST, 25 August 2026
Real estate industry veteran Tom Panos has joined Australians calling out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for 'gaslighting' the public about the housing crisis.
Albanese shared a video on Monday claiming Labor's 'changes to fix Australia's broken housing system are working'.
He claimed the changes to negative gearing tax benefits and the capital gains discount were giving 'first-home buyers a crack' and 'boosting housing supply'.
'Right now, first-home buyers are facing less competition from investors and, importantly, more investors are taking out loans to build new homes than ever before,' Albanese said.
'With a 27 per cent increase in loans for new builds.
Panos filmed himself responding to the video with dismay, sarcastically writing: 'Apparently the housing crisis is going brilliantly.'
'I really don't know what's on that piece of paper he's showing,' Panos captioned the clip.
Real estate industry veteran Tom Panos (above) questioned Anthony Albanese's claims the housing market was being 'fixed' after his party's Federal Budget tax reforms
Albanese (above) claimed new data showed 'first home buyers are facing less competition from investors' and 'more investors are taking out loans to build new homes'
'According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics, lending Indicators for the June quarter 2026, the number of first-home-buyer loans fell 2.9 per cent during the quarter.
'Compared with a year earlier, first-home-buyer loan numbers were essentially flat at zero per cent growth.
'The number of investor loans fell 8.6 per cent during the quarter. The value of investor lending fell 10.2 per cent.
'Overall, the number of new dwelling loan commitments fell 5.4 per cent.'
Commenters accused Albanese of 'gaslighting every single Australian'.
