Anthony Albanese has been called out for drinking a $500 glass of red wine at a Western Australian vineyard as many Aussies struggle to enjoy Christmas amid the cost of living.
The Prime Minister enjoyed some time off in the south-west of the state this week with his partner Jodie Haydon, visiting two wineries.
He visited Cullen Wines in Margaret River, where he tasted some of the Cullen Vanya Flower Day Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, which retails for $500.
Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon also stopped at the Pierro Vineyards for a tasting at LAS Vino before returning to Melbourne for Labor MP Peta Murphy's memorial service on Friday.
The Prime Minister's trips have since been criticized by WA Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash.
“Every Australian deserves a decent holiday, but we wonder if our Prime Minister has lost touch with the struggles of everyday Australians,” she said. The West.
“Many Australians are struggling with even the basics this Christmas, let alone tasting expensive bottles of wine.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured left at Cullen Wines) and partner Jodie Haydon (centre) enjoyed one of WA's most expensive bottles of wine this week
During his trip, the Labor leader took photos with staff from Cullen Wines and Pierro Vineyards, also in Margaret River.
A photo of the Prime Minister was shared on Cullen Wines' Facebook page, with an employee saying Mr Albanese enjoyed an 'exclusive seated tasting'.
“The Prime Minister really enjoyed spending time in Margaret River and has a great appreciation for the wines of this region and Wilyabrup in particular,” they said.
Mr Albanese (pictured right at LAS Vino) was on holiday in WA
“He said he has tried Cullen Wines before and showed a keen interest in the Legacy Series Chardonnays, as well as the current and previous vintages of Bordeaux blend Diana Madeline and finally the 2017 Vanya flower day Cabernet Sauvignon.
'All the wines, with their attributes and background stories, put a big smile on their faces.'
Mr Albanese also posed for a photo with a LAS Vino employee.
'I think it's pretty cool that the leader of one of the best countries in the world can come over on a Thursday afternoon with his partner for an informal wine tasting (unannounced) and have a few wines with the work staff. Very casual, nice conversations and good times,” the company said on Instagram.
Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash (above) said the Opposition 'can't help but wonder if our Prime Minister has lost touch with the struggles of ordinary Australians'
A poll conducted by PureProfile on behalf of The Salvation Army shows that around one in ten Australians will rely on charity support over the festive period.
The research also found that 57.7 percent will spend less on food at Christmas, 47.4 percent will buy fewer gifts and 41.9 percent will decline social invitations.
'In this happy country, too many people are without food, medicine and utilities. Many more people don't even have a place to live,” said Major Brendan Nottle of the Salvation Army.
'Behind every statistic is a real person; many are desperately struggling to make ends meet and making painful decisions about what to do without… Never before have we seen a time when the gap between rich and poor has been so wide.”