Anthony Albanese is accused of failing a major leadership test – so could this be the beginning of the end of Labor’s political reign?

Anthony Albanese has been accused of failing a major leadership by test by social commentator Prue MacSween as criminal asylum-seeking migrants roam free in the community – after a landmark High Court decision released 150 detainees.

Already three of the freed detainees – including a paedophile and a sex offender- have been arrested and charged on separate incidents.

Despite mounting public anger about the Albanese government’s handling of the issue, Mr Albanese is yet to respond to calls from the Coalition to sack the ministers  who oversaw the debacle, or front cameras to reassure Australians that the situation is under control.

MacSween claimed Mr Albanese failed a leadership test by not fronting up to address the issue.

‘Anthony Albanese is a weak leader, he’s panic stricken, and he’s still sulking about the Voice to Parliament outcome,’ Ms MacSween told Daily Mail Australia. 

‘He doesn’t have the ticket to handle the calamity of his own making. He’s run away.

Ms MacSween called out Mr Albanese’s recent overseas trips, and called on him to spend more time focusing on issues at home. 

A new preventative detention regime to try to put the detainees back behind bars passed the Senate on Tuesday and is set to clear the lower house on Wednesday night.

But the opposition argues legislation should have been primed to be enacted as soon as the court handed down its decision so no one was freed.

MacSween said that by not addressing this earlier, Labor’s ‘inexperience’ in office had been exposed.

‘They must be suffering political paralysis,’ she continued. 

‘They have no clue how to handle this crisis of their own making. Labor is treating voters like fools and shifting the blame.

‘They’ve proven themselves to be completely incompetent and arrogant – they think they can just brazen it all out, but voters are onto them.’

The detainees arrested include Afghan refugee Aliyawar Yawari, 65, who was charged with indecently assaulting a woman at a hotel in South Australia on Saturday. Meanwhile, Mohammed Ali Nadari, 45, was arrested over drug charges in New South Wales.

Then on Monday, Emran Dad, 33, a registered sex offender who was the ringleader of a child exploitation gang, was arrested in Melbourne for allegedly making contact with minors on social media and breaching his reporting obligations.

Ms MacSween criticised Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil after she stayed silent on the alleged crimes committed by the released detainees for three days and only addressed the media this morning after facing calls to resign.

‘She can appear on as many TV shows as she likes, the issue is that she’s incompetent and that she’s put Australians at risk,’ she said. 

‘And this woman who has been allegedly assaulted – I hope she throws the book at the government at the expense of the taxpayer of course. 

‘How many more people will be exposed to these people who were in detention because they failed a good character test.’ 

Social commentator Prue MacSween (pictured) has accused the Albanese government of suffering ‘political paralysis’ in the fallout of the High Court ruling

MacSween slammed Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles (pictured) as ‘incompetent’ for their lackluster response to freed detainees

Ms MacSween said the Albanese government was shaping up to be a ‘one-term’ administration due to a lack of strong leadership.

‘They need to man up and come out of hiding. Right now, they’re probably in their offices sucking their thumbs, or maybe they’re in the fetal position.’

The latest debacle comes just days after a poll revealed Mr Albanese’s approval rating has sunk to its the lowest level since he became Prime Minister.

Labor’s vote has fallen four points to 31 per cent in the past three weeks, while the Coalition’s has risen a point to 38 per cent – its highest since the May 2022 election.

On a two-party preferred basis, Labor and the Coalition are tied 50-50 in the poll, which would likely lead to Labor losing five seats and its majority if an election was held this weekend.

Mr Albanese’s personal approval rating, which fell two points to 40 per cent, is now level with Liberal leader Peter Dutton.

This represents a 12 per cent slide in just the four months since July.

Making matters worse, the Prime Minister’s dissatisfaction level has risen to 53 per cent, giving him a net approval rating – satisfaction minus dissatisfaction – of minus 13.

While Mr Dutton’s approval rating remains lower than Albanese at 37 per cent, his disapproval rating is also lower at 50 per cent, making the two political leaders equally unpopular on minus 13.

This was the second poll in a row to show more voters growing dissatisfied with Mr Albanese’s performance than they were with that of Mr Dutton.

The Prime Minister’s plunge in popularity began after the Voice referendum was resoundingly defeated in all states on October 14.

Rising interest rates since he came to power and Australia’s cost of living crisis has also turned off voters.

Anthony Albanese is pictured with partner Jodie Haydon