Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Australians expect their Prime Minister to show judgement, respect and leadership. Instead, we have got the opposite. Arriving back in Australia from his overseas trip, the Prime Minister stepped off the plane proudly wearing a T-shirt with the name of a band, Joy Division, whose origins are steeped in antisemitism. The name was taken from the wing of a Nazi concentration camp where Jewish women were forced into sexual slavery.

At a time when Jewish Australians are facing a rise in antisemitism, when families are asking for reassurance and unity, the Prime Minister chose to parade an image derived from hatred and suffering. This is not a slip of judgement, and he cannot claim ignorance. He was told about the dark origins of this band on a podcast in 2022. He even admitted, 'That is very dark.' He knew, he understood, and still he wore the T-shirt. So to wear that name across your chest is not just a statement of musical taste, and it is more than bad taste. It raises questions about values—the wrong values. And it is a profound failure of judgement. For the Prime Minister of this country in full knowledge of the meaning behind the name of this band to choose to wear this T-shirt is an insult to all, and it fails the basic tests of leadership. He should apologise immediately and explain why he thought this was acceptable.

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