We are waiting for Anthony Albanese in a suburban backyard on the New South Wales Central Coast. There’s a Hills hoist, but no trees. At first the bright autumn sun is welcome – a reprieve from the stale air of hotels, planes and buses. But as the sun tracks higher in the sky, the heat becomes oppressive. Tender pale skin stings, and the men in TV-ready suits sweat. The cameramen debate the relative merits of various football songs to lighten the mood.
The Labor leader finally emerges from the house to spruik his shared equity housing scheme. In his dark suit, he’s a bit pale, still depleted from the bout of Covid that took him off the hustings for a week. It’s clear he’ll be sweltering within minutes, and he’s not carrying any water. A lack of hydration isn’t the only irritation waiting for him under the Hills hoist. The travelling media are positioned there too.
