MELBOURNE -- The government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a conundrum: It needs to keep bringing in migrants to plug holes in the labor market, but a population surge is also driving up the property market, putting it out of reach for many citizens.
Housing and immigration linkages touch on a range of emotive, historically weighted topics in an island nation obsessed with home ownership. A reluctance to consider politically unwinnable housing policy reforms combined with a debate over whether immigration is part of the problem is creating a perfect storm for a government already struggling with mid-term stagnation.
