In a heated exchange in Parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacted strongly to allegations that he misled the public regarding advice from national security officials on the need for a Royal Commission into the Bondi Beach terror incident.
During the first Question Time held after the tragic events of December 14, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley criticized the Prime Minister for his perceived delay in establishing a Royal Commission, citing the desperate calls from the victims’ families for such an investigation.
Ley questioned Albanese’s earlier statements, where he mentioned that unnamed national security experts had recommended a confidential review by intelligence and law enforcement over a public inquiry.
“The Prime Minister informed Australians that national security experts advised against initiating a Commonwealth Royal Commission,” Ley asserted.
She further pressed Albanese, asking, “By establishing the Royal Commission now, is the Prime Minister ignoring national security advice, or did he fabricate his previous statements?”
Albanese responded firmly, stating that he was unable to disclose details from National Security Council discussions. He also turned the tables on Ley, querying her about the legislative measures the Coalition claimed to have developed following the attack.
‘I tell you what, see if you can find a national security expert that does not support the gun laws that went through this parliament with the support of this side but not that side,’ he said, while pointing at the Opposition benches.
‘Because one of the problems we have had, Mr Speaker, throughout this, is the gap between the rhetoric of those opposite and what they have actually done.’
Albanese (pictured) had previously claimed ‘experts’ advised against a Royal Commission
Sussan Ley (pictured) asked if the Prime Minister was ‘making stuff up’ over the comments
Earlier, Labor MPs shouted over Ley as she continued to criticise the government’s response to the Bondi Beach attack.
‘The families of the Bondi terrorist attack victims had to beg the Prime Minister, through their grief and tears, for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism,’ she said.
‘Can the Prime Minister humble himself once and simply say sorry?’
Albanese said he was sorry for what the Jewish community had endured but did not apologise for the delay in announcing the Royal Commission.
‘As I have said, I am sorry that this occurred, sorry for the grief and pain the Jewish community in our entire nation has experienced,’ he said.
Jewish Liberal MP Julian Leeser also confronted the Prime Minister over the timing.
‘If a Commonwealth royal commission is such a good idea, why did you spend 25 days arguing against it?’ he asked.
Albanese said the government had been working with the community on the commission’s structure.
The government’s gun reforms and hate speech bills will be debated in the Senate on Tuesday
‘We worked with the community on what a royal commission might look like because we wanted to make sure that we got it right,’ he said.
‘There are risks with the Royal Commission given that a criminal case will be taking place at the same time and we needed to make sure that was covered.’
Albanese also condemned the Opposition’s ‘character assassination’ of former High Court justice Virginia Bell, who has been appointed to lead the commission.
‘The character assassination that took place in some sections of the media and was briefed out by some people associated with that side of politics in Virginia Bell shows the problem that would have occurred had we not announced, not just a royal commission but who the commissioner was,’ he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, two bills covering gun reform and hate-speech laws passed the House of Representatives.
They are now set to be debated during a late-night Senate session on Tuesday. If approved, they will return to the lower house for a final vote on Wednesday.
