ANDREW GREENE: Ley’s criticism of Albanese’s Bondi response damaged his standing, but didn’t improve hers

Sussan Ley successfully spearheaded the campaign to force the Prime Minister into calling a royal commission following the alleged Bondi terror attack, but it has not stopped the internal party rumblings over her leadership during the Christmas break.

For days the Opposition Leader relentlessly pursued Anthony Albanese over his reluctance to set up the high-level inquiry into anti-Semitism and demanded the urgent recalling of Parliament to pass tougher security laws.

“The Parliament must convene immediately”, Ms Ley declared on December 18, just four days after the worst alleged terror attack on Australian soil, which claimed 15 innocent lives.

“We call on the Prime Minister to immediately recall, bring back the Parliament to pass legislation to eradicate anti-Semitism and to strengthen Australia’s counter-terrorism laws,” she said.

She has now got precisely what she forcefully advocated for, but her MPs fear when they return to Canberra next week the Government will crucify the Opposition for not backing its hastily prepared omnibus Bill targeting hate speech and firearms.

One concerned Liberal MP claims the Government’s attack lines will write themselves: “this Opposition is blocking our attempts to deport hate clerics from Australia”, or “those opposite want to protect extremists who spread their hateful ideology here”.

With more of Ms Ley’s colleagues hardening their position against the proposed legislation, the Opposition Leader on Thursday declared the draft package was “unsalvageable”, leaving the Government to likely strike a deal with the Greens.

After accusing the Government of not moving quickly enough to stamp out anti-Semitism and extremism, Ms Ley is now criticising Labor’s legislation as being rushed and pointing out flaws such as spelling mistakes.

But while ramping up her criticism of the hate speech and firearms Bill, she has also confounded some in her team by indicating that the Opposition would introduce its own alternative legislation when Parliament returns.

“The Opposition will head to Canberra seeking to advance our comprehensive and practical package of measures,” Ms Ley said, adding that the package would “enshrine a definition of anti-Semitism in law”.

During another tour of flood-affected Queensland, the Prime Minister gave a taste of the parliamentary attack he’s likely to unleash on the Opposition next week once the condolence motions for Bondi victims conclude on Monday.

“It is extraordinary that they are now saying it is being rushed when they were demanding, demanding and the front pages of newspapers were demanding that it be done prior to Christmas,” Mr Albanese said.

“People will have a look at what’s going on and scratch their head and say, ‘how is it that after calling for Parliament to be brought back, they’re now saying, what’s the rush? Parliament can wait into the never-never before we act on these important issues’.” Liberal insiders give Ms Ley credit for absorbing and harnessing the anger and grief of the Jewish community over recent weeks and for effectively deploying it against the Prime Minister, but they fear it has done little to lift the party’s electoral fortunes.

Some claim that since Parliament rose for the summer break in late November, internal Liberal party support for Ms Ley has continued to fall away, and that rival Angus Taylor would be likely to win any leadership ballot held now.

Fellow leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie has continued to speak out on various issues, often at odds with Ms Ley, but his critics believe he has not managed to increase his support base in the party room.

“She has been literally banging the table demanding action, and it’s helped to damage Albanese’s standing, but I’m not sure it’s really moved the needle for us,” one party figure says of Ms Ley.

Another Coalition strategist notes that while ever their primary vote stays low — particularly with Albanese in trouble — she will be at risk and believes the next Newspoll will be critical for her fortunes.

Over summer a series of smaller polls have indicated what both major parties are increasingly acknowledging: One Nation is continuing to harness community unease over migration levels and winning over disaffected votes from the Coalition and Labor.

On Monday the Coalition party room will gather to discuss its position on the Government’s legislation, but it will also bring together many disaffected MPs for the first time this year.

No leadership shenanigans are expected during next week’s brief special two-day sitting, but when Parliament returns in earnest in February, anything could happen.