Prime Minister Anthony Albanese owes Australians an explanation. Why did he choose to cosy up to a vulgar, far-left social media influencer like Abbie Chatfield, someone who promotes sex toys like butt-plus, has banned Jews from her podcast, and recently made sickening comments encouraging violence against Donald Trump?

In a column for the Herald Sun, Rita Panahi rightly called out the Prime Minister for sitting down with Chatfield for a 90-minute chat, despite her long history of outrageous, divisive, and downright disgraceful remarks. It wasn’t a slip-up. Albanese knew exactly who she was, her views were well known long before he gave her the time of day.

Chatfield has bragged about banning “Zionists”, that’s 90 per cent of the Jewish community, from her platform, just weeks after the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. Jewish leaders have condemned her anti-Semitic position, and yet our Prime Minister gave her his stamp of approval by appearing on her show. Then, to top it off, she posts a video urging lonely young men to kill Donald Trump, saying they’d “get heaps of fan mail” and women would want to sleep with them. It’s sick. And it’s dangerous.

If a conservative MP had given oxygen to this sort of bile, the media would be in meltdown. But because it’s Albanese, the usual suspects in the Canberra press gallery are silent.

One Nation is firm on this: the Prime Minister should immediately and publicly distance himself from Abbie Chatfield and anyone promoting hatred, violence or vile anti-Semitism. He must not pretend he didn’t know—because he did. This is about judgement and leadership. And right now, Albanese is showing neither.