Pictures have emerged of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese playing tennis in one of Perth’s ritziest suburbs, as Australia’s Jewish community was dealing with the fallout from the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue the day before.
The Australian published the images of Mr Albanese in tennis whites and shorts playing in the sun at Cottesloe Tennis Club on Saturday afternoon.
The Prime Minister’s game came despite the attack and commentary from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blaming the Albanese Labor government for increased anti-Semitism in Australia.
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It also came after Mr Albanese attended a $1000-a-head Labor Party fundraiser on Friday night at Chevron’s headquarter’s in Perth with business heavyweights.
Cottesloe Tennis Club president Rob Wilde said Mr Albanese arrived at 2.30pm on Saturday, and was at the venue for two hours, as a guest of former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill — who is a member.
Mr Wilde said he played against the Prime Minister and Mr Weatherill, rotating partnerships, with Mr Albanese winning one set and losing another.
“He had brought his tennis stuff with him, so it was quite obviously wanting to get a game sometime during the weekend. Good tennis players,” Mr Wilde said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese playing tennis at the Cottesloe Tennis Club. Credit: Unknown/Supplied “(He’s a) good tennis player. Obviously played a lot, and he’s still playing. He’s in good shape.
“We invited him for afternoon tea, which he graciously accepted, and met a few of the members.”
Mr Wilde said he was surprised when Mr Weatherill asked half an hour prior to the Prime Minister’s arrival whether he could play a match.
“I’m at the back end of my tennis career, and to be able to play a couple of sets of tennis against the Prime Minister was something I will appreciate for some time
“He wasn’t there to be quizzed over which side of the fence you are politically and whether you had any issues or not. We just chatted about tennis, about his he plays in his home electorate of Marrickville.
“He told me that he often manages to get a game there now and again and we just, we just talked about general things that were certainly non political.”
Mr Albanese — who was in Perth on the weekend for the opening of a train line — had been criticised for not travelling to Melbourne to tour the site of the firebombing as well as taking 48 hours to label it terrorism.
Asked on Monday whether it was appropriate he played tennis, Mr Albanese confirmed he attended the club.
“I had six appointments on Saturday; after they had concluded, late in the afternoon I did some exercise. That’s what people do,” he said.
“On Saturday morning, I was in a synagogue.”
Mr Albanese visited the Perth synagogue at the invitation of the local rabbi to attend a bar mitzvah, before attending the opening of a peri-natal mental health hub and barbecue with supports in South Perth.