December 9, 2024
The controversy of Anthony Albanese’s two-hour tennis session as a Melbourne synagogue smouldered after a terror attack has deepened after it emerged the PM also held drinks on the day of the incident for Labor donors.
Mr Albanese was the star attraction at the Federal Labor Business Forum’s “End-of-Year Networking Event” at the Chevron building on Perth’s CBD foreshore on Friday night. He played tennis the following day.
The Australian reported on Monday night that the drinks went on for 90 minutes before Mr Albanese rocked up to the Cottesloe Tennis Club at 2 pm the next day and stayed for two hours before enjoying afternoon tea.
He was accompanied by former South Australian Labor premier Jay Weatherill, who now works in Western Australia for the charitable Minderoo Foundation founded by Andrew and Nicola Forrest.
The firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue has been declared a terror incident, leaving the Jewish community badly shaken.
It was against this backdrop that pictures emerged of the Prime Minister at the Cottesloe Tennis Club in Perth in whites and shorts on Saturday.
The synagogue was set alight by masked men the day prior.
Cottesloe Tennis Club president Rob Wilde confirmed to The Australian newspaper that Mr Albanese arrived at 2.30pm on Saturday and stayed for two hours.
But speaking in Canberra, Mr Albanese initially bizarrely denied playing tennis “in the morning” before conceding he had done so in the afternoon.
“I wasn’t playing tennis on Saturday morning,” the Prime Minister said.
“That’s wrong?,” a reporter replied.
“That’s wrong,” Mr Albanese said. “I had six appointments on Saturday.
“After they had concluded late in the afternoon, I did some exercise,” Mr Albanese then said confirming he did in fact play tennis in the afternoon.
“That’s what people do. On Saturday morning, I was in a synagogue. I’ve seen some comments in the media about why there wasn’t media coverage there. That was because it was Shabbat and, as people can confirm, photos and electronic information wasn’t available then. Indeed, I attended the bar mitzvah of a young boy there and I was very much welcomed there.”
Liberal frontbencher James Paterson told news.com.au the Prime Minister’s priorities were clear.
“While a synagogue was still smouldering following the worst terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Australia’s history, Anthony Albanese was playing tennis,” Senator Paterson said.
“It speaks volumes about his priorities that a social hitout was important to him than showing solidarity with the Jewish community at this time.”
Mr Albanese confirmed on Monday that the attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne will be investigated as a terrorist incident.
Announcing that the Australian Federal Police have established a special task force to investigate incidents of anti-Semitism, Mr Albanese said spy agency ASIO would also assist law enforcement officials.
“Our world-class agencies will provide all the support necessary to find the perpetrators and ensure they face the full force of the law,” the Prime Minister told reporters in a press conference in Canberra on Monday.
AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said “a flying squad” would deploy nationally to incidents.
“[That] will include [incidents of] urging violence against members or groups, advocating terrorism, advocating genocide, using a carriage service to make a threat, and using a carriage service to menace or harass,” he said.
“I want to assure the Jewish community that the AFP will continue to provide capability and resources to state and territory police. However, from today, the AFP will take a greater role.
“The AFP will not tolerate crimes that undermine Australia’s security or our way of life.
“The national terrorism threat level remains at Probable. When I raised the threat level earlier this year, I noted there was a greater than 50% chance of a terrorist attack in the next 12 months.
“Sadly, this appalling incident appears to embody the ugly dynamics that ASIO has been warning about.”
