Awkward moment Albo is ruthlessly grilled on ABC about his ‘weak’ leadership after finally caving to public pressure and calling a Royal Commission into the Bondi massacre

Anthony Albanese has been grilled on whether he is concerned about backlash following his decision to call a royal commission into the Bondi attack only after weeks of public demand for one.

The Prime Minister announced the royal commission on Thursday afternoon, almost a month after the December 14 alleged terrorist attack in which 15 people were gunned down while celebrating a Hanukkah event at the famous beach. 

Appearing on the ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday night, Albanese was asked by host Michael Rowland if he was ‘worried people will see you as a weak leader, following rather than leading’.

Albanese responded that he had spoken with the families and other community leaders and that ‘what people want in their leader is someone who will listen and adjust positions’ based on the will of the people.

‘In a great democracy, we want to hear from people. We want people to participate… people expressing their views is a good thing. Governments should be open to listening and we have done that. We’ve also done it in a way which makes sure that what we’re not doing is deferring action.’

Rowland continued to press, noting that  ’eminent Australians from different walks of life’ have been demanding the move prompting Albanese to response that he had been working behind-the-scenes on the royal commission for weeks.

‘These recommendations and the terms of reference weren’t done this morning. They were done over a long period of time, including with proper consultation with the community.’

Rowland fired back: ‘Families of the victims a week ago, almost begged you to set up a federal royal commission. Should not that have been the point where you’d say, yes, we are at least considering the terms of reference, to save them further grief?’

Albanese said he had ‘I sat down with those families very deliberately.a half-hearted announcement of something without who the royal commissioner was going to be, without time frames, without terms of reference wouldn’t have created less speculation, it would have cited more’.

Albanese has said a royal commission into anti-Semitism and social cohesion will pave the way for national unity after one of Australia’s worst mass shootings.

Bowing to sustained political pressure from Jewish groups, business leaders, sporting greats and the federal opposition, Albanese confirmed a commonwealth probe would be held into the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

Former High Court judge Virginia Bell will lead the inquiry despite opposition from some members of Australia’s Jewish community because of past rulings that helped overturn anti-protest laws.

Ms Bell has been asked to look into the nature and prevalence of anti-Semitism and religiously motivated extremism.

She will examine the circumstances surrounding the terror attack on December 14 and has been empowered to make any other recommendations needed to strengthen Australia’s social cohesion.

Albanese, who had initially insisted a royal commission would be drawn-out and divisive, said he had taken time to reflect after meeting families of victims and survivors of the Bondi attack.

He said the royal commission would not be a drawn-out process, with the final report to be handed down by the first anniversary of the terrorist attack.

‘This royal commission is the right format, the right duration and the right terms of reference to deliver the right outcome for our national unity and our national security,’ he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

‘A royal commission is not the beginning or the end of what Australia must do to eradicate anti-Semitism, or protect ourselves from terrorism, or strengthen our social cohesion.

‘We have listened. We want to give the opportunity for people to come forward and to do so in a way that promotes social cohesion.’

Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured in the attack carried out by father-and-son Sajid and Naveed Akram, who opened fire on Jewish Australians celebrating Hanukkah.

A separate inquiry led by former spy chief Dennis Richardson is investigating the role of Australia’s intelligence agencies and will be rolled into the federal investigation.

The Richardson report will be released as part of an interim royal commission response in April.

While the NSW government announced in December a state-based royal commission, Premier Chris Minns said it would be scrapped now a federal inquiry had been established.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said setting up a royal commission was the right move to examine ‘unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism in the community’.

‘We welcome the prime minister’s announcement and expect that the terms of reference of the royal commission will allow an honest examination of government policies and the conduct and policies of key institutions and figures in major sectors of our society,’ he said.

‘This is the only way that Australia’s time-honoured standards of decency and fairness can be upheld.’

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said a serious response was needed following the Bondi attack.

‘The establishment of a royal commission is a necessary and important step and the scope of its terms of reference provides a strong foundation for meaningful outcomes,’ he said.

The coalition had previously sought for three commissioners to be appointed – one with a legal background, one expert in national security and one from the Jewish community.

The opposition had also called for views of the Jewish community to be taken into account on who should lead the commission.

The prime minister defended the appointment of Ms Bell, saying she was ‘widely respected right across the board’.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the prime minister was dragged into holding a royal commission after weeks of delay.

‘The prime minister’s decision to finally establish a commonwealth royal commission is not an act of leadership, it is an admission that his litany of excuses have collapsed,’ she said.

‘Anthony Albanese relented, not because he believed a commonwealth royal commission was the right thing to do, but because he was forced to do so by the Australian people.’

The royal commission would be conducted in a way that would not jeopardise the criminal investigation into Naveed Akram, Albanese said.

Lifeline 13 11 14

beyondblue 1300 22 4636