PM opens door to federal royal commission after Bondi killings

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated he is prepared to consider further steps, including a potential Commonwealth royal commission, in response to antisemitism and the Bondi terror attack.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Albanese said he was continuing to work closely with Jewish community leaders and examining what else might be required to strengthen social cohesion.

Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Albanese said he was in constant contact with Jewish community leaders and the NSW government as discussions continued about how best to respond to the December 14 terrorist attack and the surge in antisemitic incidents that followed.

“I will continue to do that and continue to be engaged with leaders in the Jewish community,” Mr Albanese said. “I’m talking and meeting on a daily basis with people to make sure that we do everything that is possible. What we need to do is to promote unity at this time, and that is my focus.”

While stopping short of committing to a federal royal commission, the Prime Minister did not rule one out, marking a softer position after weeks of resisting calls for a national inquiry.

Mr Albanese said the NSW government had confirmed it would establish a royal commission and that the Commonwealth was in discussions with NSW about that inquiry.

“We’re talking to New South Wales about how that would operate, and we’re talking with the Jewish community,” he said. “We are engaged with the community, as well as with the New South Wales government, to make sure that we get done everything that is required, to make sure we build social cohesion back in this country.”

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Albanese has privately indicated to colleagues that he is shifting his position on a federal royal commission and understands the need to back down from his firm opposition. Three sources familiar with thinking at the top of the government, including some who had spoken directly with the Prime Minister, said he now accepts that his earlier preference for a rapid review led by former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson may not be sufficient. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

Pressure on the Prime Minister has intensified after more than 20 former Labor MPs, union officials and party figures signed an open letter urging him to reverse his opposition to a Commonwealth royal commission. Signatories include former federal minister Mike Kelly, former NSW treasurers Eric Roozendaal and Michael Costa, former ACTU president Jennie George, and former MPs including Michael Danby, Nova Peris and Bernie Ripoll.

Mr Kelly, a co-convener of Labor Friends of Israel, said he had spoken with serving Labor MPs and ministers who supported a royal commission but preferred to raise the issue privately.

“There are also people, because of their positions or their previous roles, who feel more comfortable dealing with this issue privately,” Mr Kelly said, as reported by The Australian. “They have indicated that they’re going to take this up with the Prime Minister and ministers separately and privately.”

Mr Kelly urged Mr Albanese to listen to growing pressure from families of victims, Jewish community organisations, more than 200 senior members of the Australian bar, over 100 business leaders, the Business Council of Australia, the Law Council of Australia, Catholic bishops and prominent sports figures, all of whom have backed a federal inquiry.

Within the current caucus, MPs Mike Freelander and Ed Husic have publicly backed a royal commission, while other Labor MPs are understood to support a public inquiry but have not gone on the record.

Senior ministers have taken a more cautious line. Health Minister Mark Butler said calls for a royal commission were being respected and listened to, but stressed the government’s focus was on urgent action.

“These calls are something that we respect and, of course, listen to,” Mr Butler told the ABC. He said the government was concentrating on working with the NSW government on its announced royal commission and ensuring former public service chief Dennis Richardson could conduct a comprehensive Commonwealth level review of agency responses.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has echoed that position, saying calls for a federal inquiry were coming from a “good place” but that the government was focused on immediate responses, including hate speech law reform and security measures.

Industry Minister Tim Ayres rejected the need for a Commonwealth royal commission, arguing it would delay action and risk division. Speaking on Sky News, Senator Ayres said the work identified in Jillian Segal’s review was already underway and did not require a lengthy public inquiry.

Mr Albanese said the Bondi attack was the most extreme expression of hatred but warned that harassment and intimidation targeting Jewish Australians had become part of daily life for some families.

“We shouldn’t have a circumstance whereby people are attacked in the most extreme way, of course, this terrorist event on December 14,” he said. “But in addition to that, some people have been targeted on their way to school and vilified.”

He said Australia must return to a shared civic understanding of respect and safety.

“We need to be a country where the Australian covenant is respected,” Mr Albanese said. “If people come to Australia, any prejudices or hatreds are left in the customs hall, and we are a country that respects each other, engages respectfully, and where people can go about their daily lives in safety and without fear.”

Opposition responds

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley welcomed reports that the Prime Minister may be reconsidering a Commonwealth royal commission but warned that “words are no longer enough”.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ms Ley said unity after the Bondi terror attack had to be demonstrated through action, not rhetoric.

“After weeks of delay and added anguish for victims’ families, unity must now be demonstrated through action,” she said.

Ms Ley said any Commonwealth royal commission must be developed in consultation with those most affected, warning against terms imposed without their confidence.