‘Fast answers’ needed on Bondi attack as review slammed
The Prime Minister has resisted calls for a royal commission, opting for a review he says is quicker and “safer”. But the Jewish community has criticised the review, calling it a “half measure”.
Source: Sky News Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has again swept aside calls for a national royal commission into the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, in favour of an independent review process the federal government say is quicker and “safer”.
The review, which will finalise its report by the end of April, will be led by retired intelligence head and former diplomat Dennis Richardson.
“The Richardson review will be able to look at any issues related to the events on December 14, the atrocity that was committed,” Albanese said in Canberra on Monday.
“This is the most experienced person who can have a look quickly, sharply, go through with the experience that he has to determine any further actions that are required by the Commonwealth government.
“He will talk as well, with not just NSW but other state agencies if required.”
Richardson would assess whether the relevant Commonwealth law enforcement and intelligence agencies, in the context of the Bondi shootings, performed to maximum effectiveness.
He will also consider the circumstances in which the alleged offenders were assessed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police and consider any necessary changes.
Jewish groups have criticised the review process as an “ineffective half measure” as they continue to push for a Commonwealth royal commission.
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However, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said that while he understood their calls, the independent review was the best way forward.
“We need answers and we need them fast,” he told ABC News on Tuesday.
“A royal commission doesn’t work on that sort of timeline.”
The review is set to deliver a report by April, and Burke said a national probe could take years.
But others have argued a royal commission could offer an interim report to provide answers sooner on the shooting, which involved a father and son duo who were allegedly influenced by Islamic State, or ISIS, ideology.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said the Richardson review of federal agencies would be inadequate.
Council co-chief Alex Ryvchin said the government’s response was insulting and described the review process as an “ineffective half-measure”.
“Only a royal commission has the coercive powers to get to the bottom of how this was allowed to happen and what needs to change in this country to prevent the next massacre,” he told ABC television.
“We need the highest form of inquiry available to us and that’s a royal commission.”
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley also said the review would be “insufficient”, arguing it could be folded into a national royal commission.
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“There are uncomfortable truths, but we honour those whose lives have been lost by confronting them,” she told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday.
Monash University public policy expert Deirdre O’Neill said she understood why many in the Jewish community felt let down.
“They’re looking for answers and their sense is that they won’t get it from a review,” she told AAP.
“There’s a sense that a royal commission has the most significant powers, that it’s the most significant type of review that can be undertaken.”
But Ms O’Neill said her research on policy change showed it was not necessarily true that one form of inquiry was better than another.
“The thing about royal commissions is that they’re seen as the highest possible form of independent inquiry,” she said.
“But there are a lot of people who would argue that royal commissions aren’t that effective.”
Although royal commissions are able to subpoena witnesses and make recommendations, they have no power to implement findings and success often depends on many factors.
These include the terms of reference used, clear definitions of the problem at hand, recommendations that can work in the real world and resources and time available.
Crucially, it is often the experts at the helm who make the most difference.
“(Dennis) Richardson would be highly regarded … a well-respected and eminent figure,” Ms O’Neill added.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has already committed to a state-based royal commission, which Mr Albanese supports.
Sydneysiders will face ramped-up security measures with police to carry long-arm and machine guns while discussions continue into arming community guards at Jewish events.
“Anyone who’s suggesting that we can just have the same regime, the same process that we had in place on December 13 is wrong, those days are over,” Mr Minns said.
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-with AAP
