Anika Wells faces criticism for Ooshies housing analogy

Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells is facing criticism following a social media video in which she used Ooshies, popular supermarket collectible toys, to explain the nation’s housing crisis.

In the video, Wells used the toys to illustrate the concept of supply and demand, suggesting that the housing market faces similar issues where supply is not keeping pace with demand. She noted that recent budget measures aim to increase supply by incentivizing the purchase of new assets rather than existing ones.

The analogy has been widely condemned by social media users and political opponents, who described the approach as “patronising” and “infantilising.” Critics argued the video treated voters like “three year olds” while failing to address the severity of the housing shortage. Shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg also criticized the communication strategy, characterizing the Labor government's housing model as being defined by “more taxes, regulation and corruption.”