Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has maintained her fierce criticism of the Labor government's handling of the Bondi terror attack, despite successfully pressuring Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish a royal commission into the incident.
A Victory Overshadowed by Continued Attacks
While the announcement of the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell, marked a significant concession from the government, Ley's response was far from conciliatory. In a 745-word statement, she accused the Prime Minister of "delay, weakness and resistance", labelling the appointment of a single commissioner as "inadequate".
Her rhetoric intensified in a subsequent email to Liberal supporters, titled "The prime minister ran out of excuses", where she framed the government's U-turn not as leadership but as an admission of failure. This persistent offensive comes after weeks where Ley's advocacy for the Jewish community and victims of the attack had been widely viewed as some of her strongest moments as Opposition Leader.
Calls for Unity Clash with Political Combat
Prime Minister Albanese defended the timeline for the inquiry's establishment, citing the need to resolve legal complexities and negotiate with the New South Wales government. He emphasised the commission's role in fostering "national unity" and tackling the "evil scourge that is antisemitism".
This call for cohesion was echoed by the government's antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, who praised Bell as an "eminent jurist" and urged the community to "move forward" and support the inquiry. However, Ley's focus remained squarely on holding government ministers accountable, twice demanding they end up "in the dock" to explain their actions—a phrase with clear courtroom connotations that some argue undermines social cohesion.
The Path Forward for the Inquiry
While some of Ley's Coalition colleagues, including Jono Duniam and James Paterson, adopted a more welcoming stance towards the royal commission and its terms of reference, the Opposition Leader's approach has raised questions about political overreach. The royal commission, now backed by key Jewish community leaders, is set to begin its independent work, alongside ongoing criminal proceedings related to the attack.
Analysts suggest that while the opposition is under no obligation to give the government a free pass, there is a risk that continued efforts to undermine public confidence in the inquiry before it even begins could be counterproductive. The coming months will reveal whether political point-scoring gives way to a unified support for the commission's crucial work.
