Australian PM faces backlash over inquiry refusal

The decision not to establish a Royal Commission has drawn fierce criticism from Jewish leaders and the political opposition.

By World Israel News Staff

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected calls to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into last week’s deadly terror attack in Sydney, saying instead that the government will conduct a more limited review led by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Albanese made the remarks on Sunday, one week after the massacre.

According to a report by Sky News, the review will examine whether Australia’s federal security agencies are adequately equipped to keep the public safe. “Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond,” Albanese said in a statement.

The decision defies mounting calls from the Jewish community and opposition politicians to launch a Royal Commission, the highest and most independent form of investigation in Australia’s political system. Critics argue that only such a commission can fully examine intelligence failures, government responsibility, and the broader surge in antisemitism.

“A Royal Commission is the only way we’re going to get the full picture of what happened on the weekend,” said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.

Fifteen people were murdered on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14 when two terrorists opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 people celebrating the first night of Chanukah.

The decision not to establish a Royal Commission has drawn fierce criticism from Jewish leaders and the political opposition.

Alex Ryvchin, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News that “the failures were enormous, and accountability must start at the very highest level, the government.” He added that when listening to the anger and pain within the Jewish community, “at the top of the list are the prime minister and the government.”

Opposition leader Susan Ley said Albanese must urgently establish a federal Royal Commission to investigate antisemitism, government failures, and the effectiveness and authority of Australia’s counterterrorism framework.

Senior opposition figure James Paterson also condemned the decision, saying, “The idea that such a narrow review is an adequate federal response to the worst terrorist attack in Australia’s history is absurd.”

Independent MP Allegra Spender formally appealed to Albanese in a letter, calling for an independent inquiry with investigative powers equivalent to a Royal Commission. “No matter what we call the inquiry, it must act quickly, and it must be broad, independent, and equipped with real investigative authority,” she wrote.

“The Bondi Beach terror attack demands a thorough and independent investigation to ensure such horrific events never happen again,” Spender said in a statement.

“A federal review led by the prime minister’s own department amounts to the government investigating itself. That is not sufficient. We need a truly independent, joint federal and state inquiry with real powers if we are serious about learning lessons and driving meaningful change.”