In an extraordinary personal censure, Australia’s Jewish community effectively denied Anthony Albanese the role of being the nation’s chief public mourner in this week of national tragedy.

In such circumstances, a prime minister would normally attend the funerals of the victims, especially those of a rabbi and a ten-year-old child. But Albanese knew he was not wanted, and indeed might receive a hostile reception. Contrast the warmth of feeling for New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who was at both services.

The prime minister made much of his contact more privately. He visited the home of a rabbi, where there were direct relatives of two people who’d been killed and people with children who had been wounded. There was some frank discussion. He spoke to others, in long conversations, by phone.

The government struggled for days with its response to the massacre. Initially, the prime minister emphasised the need for tighter gun controls, and brought together national cabinet to put work in train (although Minns is out in front with state parliament returning next week to legislate).

But that only prompted more anger, with critics seeing it as a side issue to the main problem – that being the failure to have acted more strongly on the antisemitism that has plagued Australia in the past two years.

The cabinet’s national security committee broadened the response. On Thursday Albanese brought forward a package of measures to strengthen hate laws and existing powers to deny visas. The government is also examining what can be done about hate online, and it has established a taskforce under respected business figure David Gonski (who did the seminal inquiry into........

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