Voters thought Albanese was weak on Bondi. Now he risks being seen as tricky
There will be a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion. Not just because eminent Australians spoke out in favour, but because ordinary Australians wanted it.
Voters thought Albanese was weak on Bondi. Now he risks being seen as tricky
Opinion
January 11, 2026 — 5.00am
January 11, 2026 — 5.00am
Anthony Albanese’s plan to brazen out calls for a royal commission into antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack was always flawed. It was based on a political tactic that relies on the news cycle to move on from an issue before it penetrates the consciousness of ordinary voters. It’s a cynical approach, but it often works. This time, the prime minister was out of luck.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been under pressure. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Summer cricket had millions of Australians glued to commercial television – in their lounge rooms, poolside, and at the beach. Breaking bulletins repeatedly punctuated the sport. Albanese could have been front and centre, making a good impression. Instead, he ducked, weaved, and hid – confirming a bad one.
Voters already rated Albanese as weak. Even after re-electing the government with a record majority, Australians damned him with faint praise. Resolve polling for this masthead found voters thought Albanese “seems like a nice person” who “reflects his party’s ideology”. He barely scraped into single figures on other leadership qualities. Even then, voters doubted his leadership, honesty and ability to read the room.
As our cricket team soared to triumph, Albanese confirmed each of these assessments in turn. A poll conducted on behalf of this masthead just after the Bondi massacre found that 46 per cent of voters rated the federal government’s response as weak. In marginal seats, it rose to a full half, for what it’s worth. At election time, it’s everything.
While the prime minister avoided mentioning radical Islamism, 72 per cent of voters said they wanted extremist Islamist organisations banned. While he fell back on the platitude that “diversity is a strength”, 76 per cent of Australians said they wanted tougher immigration screening to identify antisemitic or extremist views. Days after Bondi, a royal commission into antisemitism had the support of nearly half of all respondents.