Anthony Albanese shares throwback photo in public housing with his single mum in a bid to PROVE he knows how hard life can be for the average Joe - so are YOU convinced? Anthony Albanese on Tuesday shared snap with his late mother from 1992 He was brought up by single mum in public housing in Camperdown, Sydney Labor leader said he knows what life is like when money is tight for families He vowed to help by making childcare cheaper and building social housing By Charlie Moore, Political Reporter For Daily Mail Australia Published: 01:06 GMT, 1 December 2021 | Updated: 01:07 GMT, 1 December 2021 Viewcomments Anthony Albanese has shared a throwback photo with his mother who raised him on his own as he vows to tackle the increasing cost of living. The snap shows the Labor leader celebrating his 29th birthday in 1992 alongside his single mother Maryanne who died of a brain aneurysm ten years later. Mr Albanese grew up in social housing in Camperdown, inner-west Sydney where his mother lived on a disability pension due chronic arthritis. The Labor leader (right) grew up in social housing with his single mum (left) in Sydney Mr Albanese has been pointing out high petrol prices in a series of Twitter posts in recent days He believed his Italian father Carlo Albanese was dead until he was 15 and only met him at age 46 in 2009, seven years after his mother died. Mr Albanese posted the throwback picture on Tuesday in a Twitter post intended to show he knows how hard life can be when money is tight. 'Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money to splash around. I was brought up by my mum, who was on a disability pension. So when the price of anything went up, we noticed. That's when you had to start making choices,' he wrote. 'Whether you can go away for the holidays. Whether you can afford new clothes for the school year. For too many families, this is happening today. The price of everything is going up, but wages are going nowhere.' Although he had a modest upbringing, Mr Albanese has earned at least $140,000 a year (in today's money) since becoming an MP in 1996. He currently earns $390,820 as Leader of the Opposition. Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese (right) with his mother Maryanne Ellery and son Nathan In the year to September inflation in Australia rose by three per cent - less than Europe and the US but still a significant figure, especially for low and middle income families. Alcohol and tobacco prices increased 4.4 per cent and petrol prices soared 24 per cent to new record highs due to increasing global demand for oil after Covid lockdowns. Mr Albanese has been pointing this out in a series of Twitter posts where he has invited concerned voters to share pictures of high petrol prices that have reached over $2 a litre in some areas. On Tuesday night, he wrote: 'Petrol, rent, food, power bills – everything seems to be getting expensive. All the while, our pay packets don't keep up. We need a government that understands these pressures. A government that works to increase wages. Mr Albanese (left) previously told how his mother (right) had a brain aneurism on Mother's Day in 2002 'That's what a Labor Government that I lead will be focussed on. We want to take pressure off by making child care cheaper and housing more affordable. By supporting wage growth. By creating good secure jobs. Jobs you can raise a family on. That's the Australia I want.' The Labor leader also posted about his late mother in May when he described how she was rushed to hospital on Mother's Day in 2002 before dying two weeks later. 'Mother's Day is such a special day, but for me and many others it's always a bit difficult. Mother's Day was the day my mum went to hospital and never came back,' Mr Albanese wrote on Twitter. Anthony Albanese's tribute to his later mother in May 2021 Mother's Day is such a special day, but for me and many others it's always a bit difficult. Mother's Day was the day my mum went to hospital and never came back. I remember it was a Sunday in autumn of 2002. I had just flown back to Sydney from Canberra to take my mum Maryanne and her sister Margaret out for Mother's Day lunch. When I got to her home in Camperdown, I knew something wasn't right. The front door had been left open. After decades of health problems, mum had a brain aneurism, and was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Mum would spend two weeks in hospital before finally passing. Over those two weeks, we said goodbye – twice. Both times she came through – she was a real fighter. On the third time, she didn't make it. Maryanne Albanese died on the 25th of May, 2002. Around every Mother's Day, I visit the cemetery where mum is and I remember how much she sacrificed for me. Mum had rheumatoid arthritis that crippled her joints and meant she couldn't work. She lived on a disability pension. Life wasn't easy, and her health made things even harder – but we got through because of her. We lived in council housing, which gave us a sense of security and stability. It was our home. She taught me how to save – and how to spend wisely – because every dollar had to count. She also taught me the most important lesson of all: the importance of leaving no one behind. Truth is, mum was left behind – by people who counted her out, and by governments who cut back support. The cutbacks that happened in mum's lifetime meant she had to justify the support she was receiving. When health funding was cut, the quality of mum's care was cut too. And when they tried to sell our council house, it felt like our home was being taken from us. I know the difference that governments can make on people's lives because I lived it. Mum lived it. It's what motivated me to get into politics. To help people. To make life better for people. To make sure no one is left behind. Mum always gave me unconditional love. And I feel very privileged to have had that. Mums really are special. A happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there. Advertisement Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility