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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Tuesday that the government will launch a fast-tracked security review into the recent Bondi Beach terror attack, rejecting calls from victims’ families for a broader Royal Commission.
The Richardson Review, led by former intelligence chief Dennis Richardson, will examine the performance of Commonwealth security agencies and report by April 2026. The inquiry will assess what federal agencies knew about the alleged offenders before the ISIS-inspired attack that targeted people celebrating Hanukkah at the Sydney beach.
Richardson, a former Secretary of Defence, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and Australian ambassador to the United States, will have full access to classified materials and require cooperation from the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, and other agencies.
The government’s decision sets up a conflict with families of the attack victims, who publicly called for a Royal Commission—a more expansive public inquiry with broader legal powers that typically takes years to complete.
“We need to respond with unity and urgency rather than division and delay,” Albanese said at a press conference following a National Security Committee meeting. “My job as Prime Minister is to act in the national interest.”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the decision, arguing that a Royal Commission examining broader issues of anti-Semitism and extremism would “re-platform” hateful voices and delay critical security reforms by years. The Opposition’s proposed terms of reference included 73 sub-items covering media, education, and cultural institutions.
Parliament will reconvene in 2026 to consider any legislative changes recommended by the review. A separate New South Wales Royal Commission and criminal proceedings against the surviving alleged perpetrator will run concurrently.
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