“This was the worst terrorist attack our state has faced, and the community deserves clear answers about how it happened and how it can be prevented in the future,” he said in a statement.
By Zac de Silva and Andrew Brown
The events leading up to Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades will go under the microscope in a royal commission tasked with investigating anti-Semitism and failures in the nation’s intelligence agencies.
After weeks of political pressure from Jewish groups, business leaders, sporting greats and the federal opposition, Anthony Albanese has announced a commonwealth probe into the Bondi mass shooting.
Former High Court judge Virginia Bell will lead the inquiry despite opposition from some members of Australia’s Jewish community because of her past rulings which have helped overturn anti-protest laws.
Ms Bell has been asked to look into the nature and prevalence of anti-Semitism and religiously motivated extremism.
She will also examine the circumstances surrounding the December 14 terror attack and has been empowered to make any other recommendations needed to strengthen Australia’s social cohesion.
The former justice will report back to the government by the one-year anniversary of the Bondi attack, Mr Albanese said.
“This was an anti-Semitic terrorist attack, aimed at Jewish Australians, inspired by ISIS. The deadliest that has ever occurred on Australian soil,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“Of course, a royal commission is not the beginning or the end of what Australia must do to eradicate anti-Semitism, or protect ourselves from terrorism, or strengthen our social cohesion. That’s an ongoing national effort for all of us as individuals, but also institutions.
“Here in Australia light will always triumph over darkness.”
Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured in the attack carried out by father-and-son duo Sajid and Naveed Akram who opened fire on Jewish Australians celebrating Hanukkah.
A separate inquiry led by former spy chief Dennis Richardson is investigating the role of Australia’s intelligence agencies and will be rolled into the federal investigation.
The Richardson report will be released as part of an interim royal commission response in April.
A planned NSW royal commission into the attack will now not go ahead. NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed NSW would drop its planned royal commission, but said the state government remained open to other NSW-focused inquiries.
“This was the worst terrorist attack our state has faced, and the community deserves clear answers about how it happened and how it can be prevented in the future,” he said in a statement.
“Given the establishment of a national Royal Commission, the NSW Royal Commission will not proceed.
The prime minister said the federal inquiry would not be drawn out.
“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,” Mr Albanese said.
“If we had adopted the 73-point proposal that was put forward by the opposition, we would have been many years down the track before we received any practical outcomes.”
The coalition had previously sought for three commissioners to be appointed – one with a legal background, one expert in national security and one from the Jewish community.
The opposition had also called for views of the Jewish community to be taken into account on who should lead the commission.
The prime minister defended the appointment of Ms Bell, saying she was “widely respected right across the board”.
Mr Albanese said the royal commission would be carried out in a way so it would not jeopardise the criminal investigation into Naveed Akram.
“It’s one of the reasons why we chose someone who has a criminal law background, has been in senior positions in the Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. That is, she’s the most qualified person we could possibly consider,” he said.
“And I do want to really thank her for making yet another contribution to the country. This is someone who has been awarded Australia’s highest honour, a companion of the Order of Australia.”
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