On December 14, a tragic attack claimed the life of 68-year-old Boris Tetleroyd, among 15 others, when gunmen, reportedly a father and son duo, opened fire. In the wake of this devastating event, Tetleroyd’s niece, Jenny Roytur, has chosen to voice her discontent with the apology issued by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Speaking with 9News, Roytur expressed her frustration, stating, “Our community has repeatedly warned the government of impending danger, and now that it’s happened, their words ring hollow and come far too late.”
Roytur’s grief is compounded by the prime minister’s reluctance to initiate a federal royal commission, which she believes is crucial for providing the victims’ families with much-needed answers. “Every individual who was injured or lost their life, their blood is on the hands of those in power,” she declared.
“The words mean nothing. They’re hollow, and they come over a week late.”
Roytur said the prime minister’s refusal to hold a federal royal commission and give the victims’ families answers is adding to their pain.
“Every single person who was hurt or murdered, all of their blood is on their hands,” she said.
“Silence is complacency, and this is where we got to.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong joined Albanese in expressing her regret and apologising.
“I’m desperately sorry for what has occurred in our country and what the Jewish community have experienced,” she said in a statement.
“Of course, always in politics and in life, you always regret what more could have been done. I think we’ve made that clear. We acted, but we have to do more, and we are.”
While her assistant minister, Matt Thistlewaite, added that all of government was sorry.
“Every single member of our government is deeply, deeply sorry for the atrocities that were committed against Australia’s Jewish community,” he said.
But Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said, “words are not enough”.
”The way we honour the victims of this tragedy is by confronting uncomfortable truths and taking action,” she said.
The Coalition has been calling for a federal royal commission and proposed their own draft terms of reference to get the ball rolling.
Albanese has repeatedly rejected calls to hold a federal royal commission, saying that there is already a state version, a departmental review and investigation running at the same time.
He said it would delay action and could take years.
“Royal Commissions take years [and] they take even longer to implement the recommendations,” Thistlewaite said.
There is no sign that the government will change its stance when it recalls parliament early to implement a series of legislative changes in response to the Bondi attack.
