Anthony Albanese has created an unpleasant precedent for himself after speaking with Neil Mitchell in Melbourne yesterday.

Prodded by Mitchell about the impact of interest rate rises and the likelihood of many more rate rises to come, the prime minister noted that "the Reserve Bank sets these rates independently of government".

Perfectly correct -- and he should have left it there. But he went on to suggest that if more extreme finance sector forecasts of four rate rises come to pass, "that would place real pressure on people".