Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has delivered a remarkable address, urging the Prime Minister to apologize for his choice of attire—a T-shirt of a well-known rock band—when he arrived back in Australia after his recent trip to the United States.

Prime Minister Albanese was photographed on Thursday stepping off his Air Force charter flight, sporting a shirt featuring the cover of Unknown Pleasures, the debut album from the British post-punk group Joy Division, released in 1979.

In a parliamentary session today, Ley, who has openly shared about her own past “punk phase,” criticized Albanese’s wardrobe decision, demanding an apology for what she described as a “serious lapse in judgment.”

“The prime minister disembarked wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the name Joy Division, a band with a controversial history linked to antisemitism,” the opposition leader stated.

“The band’s name derives from a section of a Nazi concentration camp where Jewish women were subjected to forced sexual slavery,” Ley explained.

“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.”

The origins of Joy Division’s name have been well-known for some time now. 

Originally called Warsaw, the band changed its name, with its new moniker taken from the name given to the wings of Nazi concentration camps where women were forced into prostitution.

The band discovered the name from House of Dolls, a novella written by Holocaust survivor Yehiel De-Nur.

Some of Australia’s biggest retailers, including Knart and JB-HiFi, have sold, or continue to sell, Joy Division T-shirts.

However, Ley said Albanese should apologise for and explain why he wore the shirt.

“He cannot claim ignorance, he was told about the dark origins of this band on a podcast in 2022,” she said.

“He even admitted, ‘that is very dark’… so to wear that name across your chest is not just a statement of musical taste, and it is more than bad taste, it raises questions about values.”

Albanese is currently on another diplomatic trip outside of Australia, visiting Malaysia during the ASEAN Summit.

9news.com.au has contacted his office for comment.

Formed in 1976, Joy Division split in 1980 following the death of vocalist Ian Curtis, but still influenced a raft of other bands, including U2, the Cure and Soundgarden. The remaining band members reformed as New Order.