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ustralia's Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on Monday released draft terms of reference for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people, directly challenging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish the inquiry before Christmas.
Ley accused the federal government of failing to adequately respond to the deadly shooting and the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia since October 2023. She criticized Albanese for refusing to call a Commonwealth-level inquiry and for not issuing what she described as an unqualified apology to the Jewish community.
"The Prime Minister's refusal to call a Commonwealth Royal Commission and to offer an unqualified apology, as Premier Minns has done, is adding insult to the injury that the Jewish community is feeling and our nation is feeling," Ley said at a press conference in Sydney.
The Coalition leader said she would move to establish the Royal Commission when Parliament reconvenes, regardless of whether Labor supports the initiative. She invited Albanese to meet immediately to finalize the terms of reference on a bipartisan basis.
"It's up to Labor to decide whether they support it or they don't," Ley said. "I hope they listen to the Jewish community who so often, over the last two years in particular, have felt that their Prime Minister did not listen."
The Shadow Attorney General argued that a Commonwealth inquiry is necessary because the issues are "multidimensional and multijurisdictional," extending beyond state-level matters to include federal counter-terrorism laws, electronic surveillance capabilities, and failures across universities, government agencies, and civil society.
Ley said the Jewish community made their demand for a Commonwealth Royal Commission clear at a vigil Sunday night, where the Prime Minister was reportedly met with jeers. She called on Albanese to "look past the jeers" and "hear the cries" of the community.
The Opposition Leader revealed that Labor MP Mike Freelander, who represents a Sydney-based electorate, has joined calls for the Commonwealth inquiry. She criticized senior government ministers, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, for not attending community events following the attack.
"I haven't seen Penny Wong on the streets of Bondi. I haven't seen Penny Wong at the vigil for 15 innocent murdered Australians," Ley said.
The proposed Royal Commission would examine anti-Semitism across university campuses, the arts sector, schools, and all levels of government. Lee said the Coalition wants preliminary findings within six months.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has been considering a state-level Royal Commission, but the Coalition argues only a Commonwealth inquiry has the authority to examine federal agencies and cross-jurisdictional issues.
The Opposition contends that outdated electronic surveillance laws, some dating back 20 years before encrypted messaging apps became widespread, have hampered counter-terrorism efforts.
Ley said the federal Parliament should have been sitting Monday, noting that the New South Wales Parliament was in session. "Prime Minister, the time for words really is finished," she said.
The Prime Minister's office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the Opposition's proposal.
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