A grinning Anthony Albanese was snapped holding a book titled ‘The Big Con’ during a recent meeting with a prominent economist.
The prime minister met with Italian financial expert Mariana Mazzucato last Friday as part of her week-long visit to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
The enthusiastic author shared four photos alongside Mr Albanese, of which three showed him holding her books.
However, one unfortunate title stood out from the rest – The Big Con.
Since Mr Albanese was elected in May 2022, he has faced growing criticism for his party’s handling of the increased cost of living crisis.
Anthony Albanese posed with Italian economist Mariana Mazzucato while holding her book, ‘The Big Con’ (pictured), amid claims he ‘conned the Australian people into voting for him’
A senior Opposition source told Daily Mail Australia ‘it is great to see the Prime Minister lean into his status as being slippery with the truth’.
‘Anthony Albanese conned the Australian people into voting for him with promises of cheaper mortgages, cheaper power bills, no changes to tax, no changes to super, the list goes on and on all of it thrown over the side,’ the source said.
‘The Big Con would be a good name for Anthony Albanese’s biography actually, I mean what does he actually believe in? We’ve got a weathervane-in-chief.’
The ironic title of the economic book was left out of Mr Albanese’s own post in which he detailed his meeting with Ms Mazzucato.
‘With changes in our global economy, my focus is making sure Australia stays ahead of the curve,’ he wrote.
‘I caught up with the brilliant Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of Economics at University College London, to discuss how our plan for a future made in Australia means stronger industry and better paying jobs.’
Mr Albanese and Mariana Mazzucato (pictured together last Friday) met to discuss Australia’s economy during her trip to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne
Ms Mazzucato said she and Mr Albanese used their time together to discuss Australia’s economic future.
‘It was a great to meet with Anthony Albanese to discuss the government’s economic agenda,’ she wrote.
‘I raised need for a challenge driven approach to bring government, business and unions together around a green industrial strategy with social justice at centre.’
The ill-fated photo was far from Australia’s worst-timed prime minister pic with Tony Abbott’s 2015 Reject Shop snap still a fan favourite.
The then-prime minister was pictured on his way to a small butcher business at Canberra’s Kippax Fair shopping centre.
However, a poorly-timed photo in front of The Reject Shop saw the PM labelled ‘The Reject’.
The unfortunate photo-op was reminiscent of Tony Abbott’s unfortunate 2015 pic (pictured) that labelled him ‘The Reject’
All the same, the Opposition source believes Mr Albanese’s ‘Big Con’ photo could cause a headache for his media team.
‘They’ve sunk all this time into spinning away Albo’s broken promises and then he poses for a “Big Con” pic,’ they said.
‘Brett Mason, David Epstein and Katharine Murphy must have had some heart palpitations.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Anthony Albanese’s office for comment.
