Australia’s Albanese faces fierce battle over gun laws after Bondi Beach shooting
The prime minister’s call for tighter gun controls is meeting resistance from right-wing populists and mainstream conservatives
Rather than a “rally around the flag moment of national unity”, Albanese faces “distrust and unhappiness”, said Simon Jackman, a political scientist at the University of Sydney.
Since Sunday’s attack, conservative figures and some Jewish leaders have accused Albanese of failing to adequately address rising antisemitism, posing a defining test for his leadership.
Albanese, whose centre-left Labor party enjoys a commanding parliamentary majority, has defended his record on antisemitism and announced additional measures targeting hate speech.
The mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration occurred as right-wing populists have surged in polls by exploiting public concern about immigration and crime.