Daily London
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has buckled after weeks of intense pressure and called a Commonwealth royal commission after the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
After reports began to emerge this afternoon he was considering the move, Albanese confirmed he will recommend the governor-general establish a national probe in a snap press conference this afternoon.
He said the inquiry would be led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell and would examine antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia.
“One of the reasons our nation is one of the oldest and strongest modern democracies in the world is because every Australian has the right to express their view, and as prime minister, I respect people’s views, and I listen to them,” he said.
A department review, a NSW royal commission and a police investigation are already under way, with some of those investigations expected to be folded into the new inquiry.
Albanese had repeatedly knocked back calls from members of his own party, the opposition and the Jewish community to open a federal royal commission after the December 14 attack, saying it would take years and only delay urgent changes.
He is expected to recall parliament early sometime this month to introduce a range of reforms announced by the federal government, including a landmark gun buyback scheme, hate speech laws, a new offence targeting the radicalisation of children, and more powers for the home affairs minister to cancel or refuse visas if a person is suspected of promoting violence or hate or is associated with a terrorist organisation.
