Anthony Albanese has backed the NSW premier’s call for a state-based royal commission into last weekend’s terror attack at Bondi beach, after Chris Minns called for a full “comprehensive look” at the deadly shooting.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Minns said the state needed a royal commission to investigate the mass shooting that killed 15 people.
“Until we’ve got a full and accurate picture of exactly how this happened, with a plan to ensure that it doesn’t happen again, then I don’t have answers to the people of New South Wales about what happened on Sunday,” Minns said.
“This is the most serious event that’s affected New South Wales for decades. If we’re not going to have a royal commission into this, when would you use the powers of that extraordinary provision in our act?”
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
Anthony Albanese, who met with members of the national security committee on Saturday, said he would “support whatever action the NSW government takes”.
“We are working in lockstep,” he told reporters.
Minns did not provide details about the timing of a potential royal commission. Minns said he was confident the government could appoint a senior judicial officer to navigate the complexities of an inquiry running parallel to the criminal investigation.
“As soon as we can get a comprehensive understanding, an independent investigation into what happened, we can begin the process of bringing in change to ensure that we do everything possible so that it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
The opposition had called on Albanese to launch a commonwealth royal commission, with leader Sussan Ley calling on Albanese to recall parliament on Monday to immediately legislate a response.
“Millions of Australians, particularly those of Jewish faith, want, need and deserve a commonwealth royal commission into the Bondi massacre terrorist attack,” Ley said.
She invited Albanese to “sit down with me and Jewish community leaders as soon as Shabbat ends tonight, so that we can draft the terms of reference on a bipartisan basis”.
Former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg this week called for a royal commission into antisemitism and the Bondi attack. But treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said he did not want to be “delayed or deterred” by a royal commission as they investigated the attack.
Albanese said he would attend a memorial service at Bondi beach on Sunday, which he has labelled a national day of reflection to honour the 15 victims a week on from the attack.
Flags will be flown at half mast, and Albanese has asked Australians to light a candle and put it in their front window and to observe a minute’s silence at 6.47pm.
Albanese on Saturday also commended US airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, saying Sunday’s attack was inspired by the “evil ideology”.
The Australian federal police (AFP) commissioner, Krissy Barrett, told reporters the surviving accused Bondi beach shooter, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, remained in custody in a NSW hospital on Saturday afternoon. He has been charged with 59 offences.
Barrett said police would leave “no stone unturned”.
She said the federal government’s announcement this week to lower the threshold for hate speech would give the AFP “greater scope to deter and charge individuals who are injecting and directing poisonous language towards the Jewish community”.
The NSW Labor government on Saturday announced it would outlaw the display of terrorist symbols, such as Islamic State and Hamas flags, and clamp down on hate speech, including banning the pro-Palestine phrase “globalise the intifada”.
Josh Lees, a spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, said on Friday he did not recall the group ever chanting “globalise the intifada”, but that labelling the phrase as hate speech was “ignorant”.
The proposed crackdown on hate speech and hate symbols will be considered when NSW parliament sits on Monday.
It comes as NSW Health confirmed a patient at Royal North Shore Hospital, injured in the attack, had been discharged on Saturday afternoon. There are 14 others who remain in hospital.
NSW state parliament will also consider tougher gun and protest laws.
In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and Griefline on 1300 845 745. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
