The call from the families, who represent most of those killed in the attack, follows pressure on the federal government not only from Albanese’s political opponents but also from security experts, former heads of intelligence services and the family of Katrina Dawson, who was killed in the Lindt cafe siege in 2014.
A former royal commissioner has also supported the idea, while 139 eminent legal figures, including a former chief justice and multiple judges signed an open letter in support last week. A call for a Commonwealth royal commission also received a rousing cheer at the vigil marking a week since the Bondi massacre.
About half of voters surveyed back the idea of a royal commission into antisemitism, a Resolve Political Monitor poll showed last week: 48 per cent said they supported one, while 34 per cent were unsure or neutral and 17 per cent were opposed.
In their statement, the Bondi victims’ families ask how Albanese could not support a royal commission into the “deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil” when they had been held into banks and aged care.
“We have lost parents, spouses, children, and grandparents,” the families said.
“Our loved ones were celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach, a festival of light and joy, in an iconic public space that should have been safe.
“You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth.”
Police patrolling Bondi Beach near tributes to those killed and injured in the shooting.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Albanese has been resisting a royal commission, instead focusing on a short inquiry headed by former Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson into federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to see if they need new powers.
He has said a full royal commission would take years, noting that the Coalition’s own proposed inquiry would have more than 100 separate areas of investigation.
Federal Local Government Minister Kristy McBain said on Sunday that the government wanted a speedy response to the Bondi tragedy. She said Richardson had been given until April to report on the nation’s security laws.
“We’ve given him a short timeline to actually come back to us with some answers on how [the shooters] were radicalised, what methods were used, and how we can continue to combat antisemitism, as well as the response of our agencies, including ASIO and the AFP and how they worked with the NSW police force,” she said.
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Opposition Leader Sussan Ley at the weekend reiterated her call for the immediate creation of a royal commission, saying it should shine a light on how antisemitism had grown across the country.
She said the Coalition’s own terms of reference could be changed to accommodate the government.
“We can refine them. We can change them. We can put them forward. We can consult with the Jewish community as we must and as we have, and start a process which sees a Commonwealth royal commission established,” she said.
Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the “drums are beating loudly for a Commonwealth royal commission” and the intervention of the families was “extremely significant”.
“With recent polls showing the Australian people agree with the long list of legal, national security and political leaders who have called for a royal commission, it’s now time for the prime minister to listen and act. The voices are too loud and too important to ignore,” he said.
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The families said senior legal, security and political leaders had “come together in an unprecedented display of public support” for a Commonwealth royal commission.
“The rise of antisemitism in Australia goes far beyond one state jurisdiction. It is a national crisis that demands a powerful national response,” the statement said.
It also made reference to antisemitic attacks since the massacre, and said the threat to the Jewish community was real and escalating.
“The dangerous rise of antisemitism and radicalism in Australia is not going away,” it said. “We need strong action now. We need leadership now. You cannot bring back our loved ones. But with a well-led Commonwealth royal commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more.”
Questions about security and intelligence shortcomings have also dominated debate in the past fortnight.
Minns acknowledged on Sunday the police presence at the Hanukkah event at Bondi on December 14 was “clearly not enough” to deal with the level of threat.
“As history has tragically shown, the truth of the matter is we need to do things vastly differently in the future,” he said.
Minns also urged Sydneysiders to “thumb your nose at the terrorists” and celebrate as normal over New Year.
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“We can’t let these people win,” he said. “We have to show defiance by going out and spending time with family and friends over the New Year period.”
But Minns warned the public to expect to see police carrying weapons “you haven’t seen before” as security is stepped up ahead of New Year events.
Minns also announced the NSW government would take action to shut down any venue being used for hate speech, including by turning off water and electricity supply.
“We need to be in a position where we are confronting and closing down hate preachers wherever and whenever we see them as soon as possible,” he said. “If we’re going to combat racism and antisemitism, we have to do it at every single level, whether it’s a violent activity in the streets of Sydney, whether it’s an antisemitic chant at a protest, or whether it’s happening behind closed doors.”
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