“The prime minister called for unity in the early days after the Bondi massacre. Today, we have unity. We have unity of purpose, and we have unity in a request for this Commonwealth royal commission,” Ley said on January 2.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Littleproud said on January 4: “I think the prime minister has become arrogant, ignorant, and now belligerent to what Australians want, in dealing with this, and I think he intends to bunker down in a lodge over summer and wait us out. The reality is, is that our nation needs to look at this atrocity. We have been violated in the most, atrocious way, and a Royal Commission at a federal level is the most important thing.”
Former senior Liberal figures have also weighed in, including former prime minister John Howard, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, former foreign minister Julie Bishop and former attorney-general George Brandis, as well as three former Victorian premiers: Jeff Kennett, Ted Baillieu and Dennis Napthine.
Federal parliamentarians (including Labor MPs)
On Monday, January 5, 21 former Labor politicians, staffers and prominent party members signed an open letter arguing that only a federal inquiry could properly examine the “broader ecosystem of terror and hate” that led to the Bondi shootings.
Names on the letter included former federal frontbenchers Mike Kelly, Michael Danby, Bernie Ripoll and Peter Baldwin; former Labor MP and trade union boss Jennie George, Mary Easson, Kim Wilkie and Mike Symon, senators Mark Bishop, Michael Forshaw and Nova Peris; and former NSW and Victorian figures Michael Costa, Eric Roozendaal, Tony Lupton and Danielle Green.
Former Victorian Labor government ministers James Merlino and Phil Dalidakis have signed other petitions.
Former Olympians and sports stars
More than 60 Australian sports stars, including swimming legends Dawn Fraser, Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett, signed an open-letter demanding a royal commission.
Speaking at a press conference at Bondi Beach after the letter was signed, eight-time Olympic medallist Fraser said: “This is not a gun problem. This is not a one-off problem. This is an antisemitism problem that has been building and building, and our leaders have sat on their hands, too scared to say anything or do anything because, heavens forbid, they might be called racist”.
Business leaders
Facilitated by the Business Council of Australia, a letter calling for a Commonwealth royal commission was signed by more than 100 Australian business leaders including former Reserve Bank governors Philip Lowe and Glenn Stevens.
“Without sustainably safe and cohesive workplaces and communities, we cannot deliver prosperity for all Australians, which is the ultimate objective underpinning the advocacy and efforts of our organisations,” the group said in a statement.
Signatories include Woolworths chair Scott Perkins; BHP chair Ross McEwan; University of Sydney chancellor David Thodey; former Coca-Cola Amatil boss Alison Watkins; and former AustralianSuper chief executive Ian Silk.
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Legal experts
More than 200 prominent barristers and former judges have penned a letter calling for a royal commission, including former Victorian Supreme Court judge Jack Rush and former NSW Supreme Court justice George Palmer.
Among the list of signatories was former Victorian Supreme Court judge Betty King, who presided over many of the Melbourne gangland trials, and former Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Ian Temby.
The Law Council of Australia on Tuesday, January 6 also backed calls for a royal commission into antisemitism.
