Half an hour into question time on Monday Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was gearing up for his “I will not be lectured ...” moment when the opposition did something remarkable.

For months, Coalition MPs have accused the Albanese government of playing down violent acts of antisemitism and of making the country less safe for people of Jewish faith. The campaign hit its peak on January 12 when Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of essentially being responsible for what was playing out across the country.