After growing speculation the Albanese government would cave to calls for a broader inquiry into the Bondi terror attack, the Prime Minister has called a royal commission.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally bowed to pressure and called a federal royal commission into the Bondi massacre and antisemitism in Australia.
After weeks of rejecting calls for a powerful and independent inquiry into the events on December 14, the Prime Minister has appointed former High Court Justice Virginia Bell to oversee the royal commission.
“What we’ve done is listen,” Mr Albanese said.
“We’ve concluded that where we’ve landed today is a way forward for national unity.”
Fifteen people were killed during a Jewish Hannukah celebration at the iconic Australian beach by an Islamic State-inspired terror attack allegedly carried out by a father and his son.
Under the terms of reference, the commission will investigate whether there were any gaps in information gathered by intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the lead up to the terror attack.
It will also examine the prevalence of antisemitism in this country.
“It’s important the government listened to all those that have called for a royal commission,” said Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism Jillian Segal.
“The facts, the causes, the failures, the best way forward. There were warning signs pointing to Bondi.”
An initial inquiry about the Bondi massacre announced by the Prime Minister in December will now be rolled into the royal commission.
Mr Albanese said the government was conscious of the fact one of the gunman, Naveed Akram, is due to face trial for his role in the December 14 shootings. His father was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police officers.
“If you look at what is required by this royal commission, there is no one of the stature of Virginia Bell, a former High Court judge, a former head or senior person in the New South Wales Supreme Court, someone with a background in the criminal law, someone who is widely respected right across the board,” he said.
Pushed on his previous arguments against a royal commission, the prime minister pointed to the NSW government’s decision to announce its own royal commission.
He said the Commonwealth inquiry would go further by investigating how social cohesion in Australia can be strengthened.
The royal commission is expected to run for 12 months.
