Anthony Albanese was cruising to the summer break. Now his leadership faces its most serious test

Anthony Albanese says he ‘regrets’ the politicisation of the Bondi attacks, while Sussan Ley has doubled down on criticism of the prime minister. Illustration: Guardian Design

Nine days after the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil, and amid a rising chorus of voices calling for a federal royal commission, Anthony Albanese dug in.

“There was no royal commission called by the Howard government after Port Arthur,” the prime minister told the media from Parliament House on Tuesday.