Ley made the remarks in Parliament on Tuesday, five days after Albanese was photographed wearing the shirt while arriving in Australia following his trip to Washington, DC. The shirt features the artwork from Joy Division’s 1979 album Unknown Pleasures.
“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,” Ley said, according to The Guardian. “It was a profound failure of judgment.”
Joy Division, formed in the late 1970s, took its name from a reference in a World War II novel describing a Nazi concentration camp brothel. The group broke up following the death of frontman Ian Curtis, with the remaining members forming New Order.
Ley’s comments came as Albanese traveled to Malaysia for regional talks, posting online that his government was “getting things done” while the criticism circulated at home.
Jewish community groups did not support Ley’s attack. A senior member of one prominent organization told reporters they were “bemused” by the claim, noting Albanese’s reputation as a longtime music fan. “If we had an issue with his clothing, we’d raise it with him directly,” the source said.
Labor MPs dismissed the issue, saying Ley’s remarks were a distraction. Assistant Minister Pat Gorman told the ABC, “There’s big issues in the world, I don’t think T-shirts of mainstream bands is one of them.”
Political observers noted the timing of Ley’s speech—delivered just before question time, a period when comments are most likely to make TV bulletins—suggested it was meant to gain media attention. The remarks followed a Sky News segment that raised similar concerns about the shirt.
