Australia will hold a Royal Commission inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting in which 15 people were killed, the country’s most powerful public inquiry, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.
The commission will look into antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia, and examine the events leading up to the Bondi Beach shooting. The Royal Commission, a government inquiry that can compel people to give evidence, will be led by retired judge Virginia Bell and is expected to present its findings by the end of this year.
Albanese said that the inquiry will make “recommendations to counteract and prevent manifestations of antisemitism.”
“I’ve listened, and in a democracy that’s a good thing. To listen to what people are saying and what people are saying is, yes, we’re concerned,” Albanese says.
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“This Royal Commission is the right format, the right duration and the right terms of reference to deliver the right outcome for our national unity and our national security,” Albanese told a news conference on Thursday.
Albanese had initially resisted calls to set up a Royal Commission, saying the process would take years, which attracted criticism from Jewish groups and victims’ families who urged him to reconsider.
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Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal stands next to Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his wife Jodie Haydon, and Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn during the ‘Light Over Darkness’ vigil honouring victims and survivors of a deadly mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in December. Credit: Hollie Adams/ REUTERS
Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal stands next to Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his wife Jodie Haydon, and Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn during the ‘Light Over Darkness’ vigil honouring victims and survivors of a deadly mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in December. Credit: Hollie Adams/ REUTERS
“I’ve taken the time to reflect, to meet with leaders in the Jewish community, and most importantly, I’ve met with many of the families of victims and survivors of that horrific attack,” Albanese said.
In response to Albanese’s announcement, Executive Council of Australian Jewry President, Daniel Aghion KC, said, “The government has made the right decision in establishing the Commonwealth Royal Commission and heeding the calls made by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the families affected by the Bondi Beach shootings and many others.”
Albanese added that he’s hopeful that his government ratifies a revised hate speech bill before Australia Day on January 26.
The government last month announced an independent review into law enforcement agencies that will assess whether authorities could have taken additional steps to prevent the attack.
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That review, which will examine whether existing laws or information gaps stopped police and security agencies from acting against the alleged attackers, will now be folded into the Royal Commission, Albanese said.
It is expected to report its findings in April.