Daily London
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to open a federal royal commission into last Sunday’s terrorist attack at Bondi Beach.
Ley released a draft terms of reference for a Commonwealth royal commission, which she said would have greater reach and powers than a state version that Premier Chris Minns flagged over the weekend.
“In response to the horror at Bondi, the Prime Minister has announced proposals, but they’re too little, they’re too late, and they will take too long,” she said at a press conference this morning.
“I invite the Prime Minister to sit down with me immediately to refine and finalise these terms of reference so we can establish a Commonwealth royal commission, before Christmas.”
The opposition’s proposal for a Commonwealth royal commission would be led by three commissioners, comprising a member from the Jewish community, a member with law enforcement and intelligence agency experience and a current or former supreme court judge.
The draft terms of reference include investigating the rise of antisemitism in Australia, the conduct of ministers and departments across all levels of government, the role of radical Islam, far left and far right neo-Nazi extremism and anti-Zionist attitudes and the cooperation between federal and state law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Under the draft, the royal commission would hand down an interim report and recommendations no later than June 23, 2026.
The opposition will move a motion to establish a Commonwealth royal commission as soon as the federal parliament is recalled.
“We have work to do in order to honour the dead,” Ley said while blaming Albanese’s actions and inactions for contributing to the Bondi attack.
“We must confront uncomfortable truths, hard truths. That’s what this Commonwealth royal commission is about.”
Shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace said only a Commonwealth royal commission can investigate the full extent of the Bondi attack and the antisemitism since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
“It is totally inappropriate and insufficient to simply have a state royal commission, which would effectively have its hands tied in dealing with state matters,” he said.
“We know that there are likely to be identified many failings as a result of what happened at Bondi, not the least of which certainly cross jurisdictions of our states and territories and our Commonwealth.”
Albanese has thrown his support behind a state-based royal commission and announced a landmark gun buyback scheme, laws to combat hate speech and antisemitism and a review into the federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the wake of the Bondi attack.
But he has been unable to shake off growing criticism from political figures and the Jewish community, which saw him get booed and heckled at a vigil in Bondi last night.
Last week, Albanese accepted responsibility and acknowledged he could have done more.
Ley has failed to gain support and also dipped in approval ratings, with Albanese still leading as the preferred prime minister.
