Editorial: Bondi victims’ families are ‘experts’ we should be listening to in regard to royal commission

Never mind what former High Court chief justices are telling you. Or former governors-general, State premiers from your own side of politics, your own backbenchers, ex-security agency bosses, more than 100 barristers and a growing crowd of Jewish community leaders and rabbis. And feel free to disregard the heartfelt, desperate pleas from the grieving families of the 15 souls gunned down on Bondi Beach. What would they know? On Tuesday, Anthony Albanese was asked again to justify his refusal to call a royal commission into the events of December 14 and the potential missed opportunities to prevent the bloodshed that occurred there. It’s a question the Prime Minister has been asked many times in the past two weeks. And clearly, he’s getting sick and tired of it. Mr Albanese again said an independent review to be conducted by former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson — the terms of reference for which make no reference to anti-Semitism — would provide better answers than a Commonwealth royal commission. “Our position is not out of convenience, it is out of conviction that this is the right direction to go in,” he said “And the actual experts, who are the current experts, have all recommended this course of action. And we are following the advice that we receive from authorities who are in 2025 dealing with this atrocity.” The “actual experts”. Not the armchair amateurs, like those grieving the alleged murders of their family members. Not the Jewish community leaders who have spent the past two and a half years trying desperately to make their warnings about the dangerous rising tide of anti-Semitism heard. Just who are these “actual experts” who Mr Albanese has such unshakeable faith in? He didn’t answer that question directly, but made reference to security and law enforcement agencies which have provided advice to the National Security Committee. Agencies which would expect to be subject to close scrutiny by an appropriately-empowered Commonwealth royal commission. Hardly disinterested observers, but central players which — much like Mr Albanese’s Government — are at risk of public embarrassment should a royal commission go ahead. Make no mistake, the reason Mr Albanese does not want to call a royal commission is because he knows it would be disastrous for his own political fortunes. It would expose his Government’s shortcomings and failures. As the chorus of calls for a royal commission has grown louder, his excuses have grown flimsier. The latest, first offered by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Monday, stretches credulity to its limits. In remarks seconded by Mr Albanese, Mr Burke said a royal commission investigating anti-Semitism would “re-platform some of the worst voices”. The Jewish community has made abundantly clear that they want a spotlight shone on these issues. They want the rest of the country to understand what it is like to live in daily fear of violence or abuse for their religion — and what it is like to have those fears come true. Tragically, on this subject, they are the experts. Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by WAN Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore