Coalition attacks Penny Wong for not shedding 'a single tear' after Bondi shooting, says 'multicultural nirvana' has failed

Sussan Ley and other senior Coalition politicians have linked the Labor government's recognition of Palestine to the antisemitic Bondi terror attack and attacked Penny Wong for not shedding tears in public at an extraordinary press conference on Monday.

The spray from Coalition MPs came amid growing demands for prime minister Anthony Albanese to call a royal commission into the Bondi attack, with criticism from the Coalition, Jewish groups and even some Labor MPs that the government's review of the intelligence community is too narrow.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley was visibly angry at a press conference on Monday morning, raising her voice as she hit out at foreign minister Penny Wong for not visiting the site of last Sunday's attack.

"I haven't seen Penny Wong shed a single tear," she said.

Shadow minister Bridget McKenzie went further, linking, without evidence. Wong's failure to visit certain sites of Hamas' 7 October massacre in Israel and other government policies to the Bondi massacre.

"Penny Wong, the answers you've been giving on why you didn't go to Kibbutz Be'eri, why you didn't turn up to the Nova music site when you went to Israel, all of this, recognition of Palestine, all of these decisions of your government have brought this upon us," McKenzie claimed.

"So we need a royal commission to actually uncover that and give our Jewish community and all Australians a chance to get the answers."

Nationals senator McKenzie, who has criticised Labor's plans for firearms reform, claimed the problem was "not the gun, it's Islamic extremism, and it's in our suburbs."

"For too long, we've papered over that reality in some hope of, you know, this multicultural nirvana. But it has failed."

Wong's trip included meeting Israeli government officials and families of hostages held by Hamas.

Wong, speaking to the ABC on Monday, strongly condemned antisemitism and the Bondi attack, again calling "to turn the temperature down" in Australia's national debate.

Shadow education minister Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, said Australia's Jewish community "cannot survive on the crumbs of this government and appalling Prime Minister, who is always late to the party", criticising Labor for being "late to act" on banning doxxing and banning Nazi symbols.

Government sources noted the Coalition had voted against Labor's anti-doxxing legislation in November 2024, and had not taken stronger action on banning Nazi symbols during their time in government.

McKenzie, standing alongside Ley - a former convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine group - claimed Labor's August recognition of Palestine had been among decisions which "brought this upon us".

Around 150 countries worldwide have recognised Palestine. The government's announcement in August of its intention to recognise Palestine came as France, Canada and the United Kingdom made their own pledges to recognise Palestine. There is no evidence the August announcement had any bearing on the IS-inspired terror attack from Sajid and Naveen Akram, a fruit shop owner and bricklayer.

Albanese announced his government's intention to recognise Palestine amidst global condemnation of Israel's military bombardment of Gaza, where more than 60,000 people at the time had been killed - mostly civilians, according to local health authorities - following the 7 October 2023 terror attack by Hamas where 1,200 Israelis were murdered and dozens taken hostage.

While the New South Wales government has announced its own state-based royal commission, Albanese's government has rejected questions about such a federal inquiry. Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week said the government wanted federal agencies "100% focused" on investigating the shooting that left 15 Jewish victims dead, rather than "delayed or deterred by a Royal Commission."

Albanese on Saturday said federal agencies would cooperate with NSW's royal commission, and instead ordered his department to lead a review into federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies - a response immediately branded inadequate by the Coalition.

Federal Labor MPs Mike Freelander and Ed Husic have backed calls for a federal royal commission. Freelander, who is Jewish, told the Australian Financial Review that there were "national issues" for the federal government to deal with; reached by Guardian Australia, Freelander confirmed his position but declined to comment further.

Husic, also contacted for comment, was quoted by the AFR as saying "I'd be concerned that federal agencies might feel that they wouldn't have the ability to participate fully in a state-based inquiry."

NSW premier Chris Minns on Monday said he expected cooperation from federal authorities on his state's royal commission, which he promised would be "as comprehensive as possible".

Ley's federal Coalition has demanded a royal commission into antisemitism more broadly, including "attitudes towards... the state of Israel", conduct at universities and in the arts sector, how state and federal agencies responded to counter-terror and extremism, and visa policies.

Ley, raising her voice in a direct attack on Wong, lashed the foreign minister's statement as "ridiculous remarks".

"I haven't seen Penny Wong on the streets of Bondi. I haven't seen Penny Wong at the vigil for 15 innocent murdered Australians. I didn't see Penny Wong at Bondi last night at the eighth night of Hanukkah. I didn't see Penny Wong attend a single funeral," Ley said.