Daily London
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been met with boos from parts of a crowd gathered tonight at Bondi Beach as they mark exactly one week after Australia’s worst terror attack.
Albanese has faced criticism since the massacre over claims his government failed to protect the Jewish community, for not attending funerals for all of the victims, and for not going far enough in the government’s response.
Tonight, wearing a kippah in a sign of respect at the sombre ceremony, Albanese encountered some of that displeasure in person.
As NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip announced the dignitaries who were in attendance, there were loud boos for Albanese from some amongst the crowd of many thousands.
Ossip calmed the noise from the disgruntled.
For NSW Premier Chris Minns there was a standing ovation as Ossip highlighted that he had not missed a single funeral for the victims.
There was also similar applause for NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, who Ossip said had gone to Bondi Beach on the night of the attacks to help victims.
“That is bravery, that is courage,” he said.
Ossip said more needed to be done, and there was loud cheering as he said “it cannot be disputed that we need a royal commission, which goes beyond NSW, to get to the bottom of how this catastrophe took place”.
“We feared and suspected that this moment was coming.”
The report will be led by former intelligence chief Dennis Richardson, and will examine multiple aspects of how Australia’s security agencies are equipped to respond to acts of terror.
Nationals leader David Littleproud today said there was “no reason why we shouldn’t have a federal royal commission” and claimed Albanese was afraid of the “truth” being revealed.
“There has been a litany of failures here for two and a half years. The warning signs were there from the 8th of October, 2023.
“We should look ourselves in the eye. We should look at the failings of decisions made at a political level, at intelligence levels.”
