Aussie PM busted again for spreading misinformation
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under fire after posting a cost-of-living meme that was quickly shot down by X's Community Notes feature.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is facing backlash after sharing a misleading social media post that caught the attention of X users, with the post amassing over 500,000 views.
The controversial meme, posted on Wednesday, was intended to highlight Labor’s cost of living relief efforts but has since been flagged for spreading misinformation.
New album just dropped. pic.twitter.com/hE4boYWMiP
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 7, 2024
The post featured a mock CD album cover resembling the popular So Fresh compilation CDs from the 2000s, titled "Cost of Living Relief – Winter 2024."
It listed several key policies from the Albanese government, including $300 savings on power bills, paid practical placements for students, and increased rent assistance.
However, X's Community Notes — a fact-checking system introduced after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform — quickly amended the post, adding context to the claims made by the Prime Minister. The note pointed out that several of the listed policies would not take full effect until 2025 or later.
"Many of the policies cited do not fully come into effect until much later than Winter 2024," the note stated, highlighting that paid practical placements for students would only start in July 2025 and that more paid parental leave would be phased in by 2026.
The post came at a sensitive time, following Reserve Bank Governor Michelle Bullock’s remarks about government spending contributing to persistent inflation. The timing also coincided with the release of new inflation figures, showing a slight rise from 3.6 per cent to 3.8 per cent in July, further fuelling criticism from the public.
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