‘Greatest shame’: Ex-Liberal frontbencher Josh Frydenberg says Albanese has ‘failed’ in emotional Bondi speech

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg says it’s time for Anthony Albanese to “accept personal responsibility for the deaths of innocent people” in an impassioned, furious speech at the Bondi Beach memorial site.

During the emotionally-charged speech Mr Frydenberg said the events on Sunday were “all too predictable” and the “greatest stain on our nation”, brought on by the Government’s failure to act to stamp out the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Australia.

Fighting back tears at times, he described massacre as the greatest loss of Jewish life outside of Israel since October 7,and said he was at the memorial to “fight for the soul of Australia” and the Australian Jewish community.

“Rabbis, Holocaust survivors, and the beautiful 10-year-old Matilda,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“Her parents said they gave her that name because it was the most Australian name they knew.

“What a tragedy.”

The prominent Jewish man accused the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of doing “nothing”, saying he had abandoned Jewish Australians and let the nation down.

Mr Frydenberg called for an urgent Royal Commission into anti-Semitism after 15 people were murdered in Sunday’s mass shooting.

He referenced the spike in anti-Semitism incidents on home soil after the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7 attacks in 2023, including the firebombing of synagogues and protests across cities, including large scale rallies at Opera House and across Sydney Harbour Bridge.

“This massacre at Bondi is the greatest stain on this nation. (It) has brought the greatest shame to our nation. I’m here to mourn, but I am also here to warn,” he said.

“Unless our governments, Federal and State, take urgent, unprecedented and strong action, as night follows day, we will be back grieving the loss of innocent life in another terrorist attack in our country.

“This was all too predictable. We saw the heinous scenes on the steps of another national icon, the Sydney Opera House, with people celebrating that death and destruction.

“Since that day, we have seen the doxxing of Jewish creators, the cancelling of Jewish artists, the boycotting of Jewish businesses, the graffiti and of our schools, the harassment, the intimidation of Jewish students and staff on our university campuses and of course, the firebombing of our synagogues and day care centres, and daily protests of hate in this, the lucky country which is lucky no more.

“For two-and-a-half years, the Australian Jewish community and others have raised the alarm bells.

“They were told by people who should know better that this was not as significant as they had said.”

Mr Frydenberg, who cried as he placed flowers at the site on Wednesday afternoon, said the PM should accept personal accountability for the deaths.

“Our governments have failed every Australian when it comes to fighting hate and antisemitism,” he said.

“Our Prime Minister, our Government, has allowed Australia to be radicalised on his watch.

“It is time for him to accept personal responsibility for the death of the innocent people, including a 10-year-old child.

“It is time our prime minister accepted accountability for what has happened here. And it’s time our leaders stood up and led at last. This is a time for accountability and action.”

It follows a similar spray by former Liberal PM John Howard on Tuesday.

Mourners have also accused the Prime Minister of having “blood on his hands”.

The frustrations have been palpable at the scene with mourners heckling Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke when he visited a vigil at Bondi Beach on Monday night.

Fellow Labor frontbencher Richard Marles was then heckled during a live interview on Sky from Geelong in his Victorian electorate on Wednesday.

“You and your Government are an absolute disgrace . . . you, the Prime Minister, Penny Wong,” a man can be heard yelling behind the broadcast.

Mr Marles had defended the government’s record, declaring it was “utterly committed to stamping out the scourge of anti-Semitism”.

“I’ve worked with the Jewish community over a long time, what they want to know is that we are taking those steps, and I can assure them and the country that we are,” he told Sky.

Mr Albanese has also defended his government’s actions on Wednesday morning, revealing at a press conference that he had met with Australia’s special envoy for anti-Semitism Jillian Segal overnight to discuss combating the issue.

“We want to stamp out and eradicate antisemitism. We want to also stamp out the evil ideology of what would appear to be, from the investigators, an ISIS-inspired attack,” the PM said.

“That has no place, that sort of hatred. What strengthens Australia is our love for each other.”

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has also criticised the government in the wake of the attack, saying “for too long, anti-Semitism has been allowed to grow in plain sight”.

She has appointed a new Coalition anti-Semitism, extremism and counterterrorism taskforce to push for stronger measures, while Liberal MP Julian Leeser said the Opposition would return to Parliament if it needed to be recalled for legislative changes.

“If Parliament is to be recalled, we should do it. When you’ve got 15 dead people, including Matilda, including Rabbis, when you’ve got people who are fighting for their life in hospital, it doesn’t get any more serious than this,” Mr Leeser said.

“This is an attack on our country. We need a response that deals with the root problem, which is anti-Semitism.”