Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed his government will establish a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attack and the broader issue of antisemitism, marking a sharp reversal from his earlier resistance to a wide-ranging commonwealth inquiry.
Announcing the decision on Thursday, Albanese said the royal commission would examine four core areas: the prevalence and drivers of antisemitism in Australia; the effectiveness of law enforcement responses to antisemitic threats and violence; the circumstances surrounding the alleged Bondi attack; and measures to strengthen social cohesion and national unity. The commission is expected to deliver its final report by 14 December 2026, with an interim report due in April.
The move follows weeks of intense public pressure from victims’ families, Jewish community organisations and political figures across the spectrum, including within Labor’s own caucus. It also comes after Albanese had previously argued against a federal royal commission, citing concerns that such an inquiry could take too long, duplicate state processes or inadvertently amplify extremist views.
Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, the prime minister defended his change of position, saying he had listened carefully to community concerns and reflected on the gravity of the attack.
“Our government’s priority is to promote unity and social cohesion,” Albanese said. “This is what Australia needs to heal, to learn and to come together in a spirit of national unity. It’s clear to me that a royal commission is essential to achieving this.”
He said his decision had been informed by meetings with Jewish community leaders and, most significantly, with families of victims and survivors. “I’ve taken the time to reflect,” he said, adding that the commission would help ensure “light will prevail over darkness”.
The announcement prompted an immediate response from New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who confirmed the state government would abandon its previously announced royal commission into the attack and instead cooperate fully with the federal inquiry. The shift consolidates investigative efforts under a single national process.
The Bondi attack occurred during a Hanukkah event and left 15 people dead. Police allege the shooting was carried out by a father and son inspired by Islamic State ideology. The incident sent shockwaves through Australia and reignited debate over antisemitism, intelligence failures and firearms regulation.
Former High Court justice Virginia Bell has been appointed to lead the royal commission. Bell brings extensive experience, having served on the High Court from 2009 to 2021, as well as on the New South Wales Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Earlier in her career, she was counsel assisting the landmark Wood royal commission into the NSW Police Service. More recently, Albanese appointed her to investigate former prime minister Scott Morrison’s secret self-appointments to multiple ministerial portfolios.
Albanese said a separate review into intelligence and law enforcement agencies led by former ASIO director-general Dennis Richardson would now feed into the royal commission’s work. However, he declined to confirm whether Richardson’s review would involve public hearings, saying operational details would be a matter for the commissioner.
“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,” Albanese said.
Despite broad support for an inquiry, the federal Coalition moved quickly to criticise the government’s approach. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley accused Albanese of being “forced” into action after weeks of what she described as indecision and political calculation.
“The pleas of the families of victims, the Jewish community and the wider community have finally been heeded,” Ley said, “but as always, Anthony Albanese has only acted when he judged it was in his political interest.”
Ley argued the inquiry should be overseen by more than one commissioner, saying a single commissioner was insufficient given the scale and complexity of the task. The Coalition had earlier proposed a three-commissioner model and broader terms of reference encompassing intelligence, policing and firearms laws.
“A single commissioner is inadequate for an inquiry of this scale, complexity and importance,” Ley said, adding that the Coalition would scrutinise the government’s proposed terms of reference before deciding whether to formally endorse them.
The case has raised pointed questions about intelligence and policing oversight. One of the alleged attackers, Naveed Akram, who now faces dozens of charges including 15 counts of murder, had reportedly been investigated by ASIO in 2019 over alleged links to individuals associated with an Islamic State cell. His father was later approved for a gun licence, a fact that has fuelled scrutiny of background checks and inter-agency information sharing.
The federal government had initially committed only to Richardson’s narrower review of intelligence and law enforcement. That approach was criticised by several senior figures, including former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who had been among the most vocal advocates for a royal commission. Frydenberg had previously questioned Bell’s appointment, citing unspecified concerns from Jewish leaders, but struck a more conciliatory tone after Thursday’s announcement, describing the inquiry as “an opportunity to reset, rebuild and repair our nation”.
As preparations begin, expectations are high that the royal commission will not only establish the facts surrounding the Bondi attack but also confront the broader social and institutional failures that allowed extremist violence and antisemitism to take root. For Albanese, the inquiry represents both a political gamble and a defining test of his pledge to unite a shaken nation.
