Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has robustly defended his government's sudden reversal on establishing a Royal Commission into antisemitism, claiming the announcement was made in 'record time'. This defence comes just ten days after he fiercely rejected such calls, warning they would be divisive.
From Rejection to Royal Commission
In a stark change of position, Mr Albanese yesterday announced a Commonwealth Royal Commission. This follows weeks of mounting pressure from a campaign spearheaded by the families of the Bondi victims, and supported by sports stars, national security authorities, and MPs from within his own Labour Party.
Only days earlier, the Prime Minister had argued against such an inquiry. 'We want urgency and unity, not division and delay,' he stated at the time, expressing concerns over social cohesion.
Defending the Shift on Sunrise
Appearing on Sunrise to explain the sudden policy shift, Mr Albanese suggested a Royal Commission was already effectively in motion. He pointed to the New South Wales Government's own announced probe, with which the Commonwealth had pledged full cooperation.
'That in effect would have been a Commonwealth Royal Commission,' he argued. 'But just around events in New South Wales and antisemitism there. We needed to make sure that there weren't two Royal Commissions.'
The Prime Minister revealed that the NSW Government's decision last night not to proceed with its own inquiry was a key factor. 'That was important. We also wanted to make sure that there wasn't any interference with any legal processes,' he added.
'Record Time' and Accusations of Gaslighting
Mr Albanese insisted his administration had acted with due care and speed, highlighting his personal meetings with grieving families. 'This is actually a record time for the calling of a Royal Commission. The last funeral was just two days ago,' he told Sunrise.
The Royal Commission is set to begin immediately, with the Executive Council meeting at the Governor-General's residence, Admiralty House. 'So, we needed to get the right commissioner, the right terms of reference, in the right time frame, because we can't afford to not get this right,' the Prime Minister concluded.
However, the swift reversal has drawn sharp criticism. Daily Mail Australia political editor Peter Van Onselen accused Mr Albanese of 'gaslighting' the Australian public and the victims' families.
'The PM is now gaslighting Australians that he never really opposed a Royal Commission in the first place,' Van Onselen wrote. 'Worse than that he's gaslighting the families of the victims. He's been dragged kicking and screaming into calling a Commonwealth Royal Commission.'
He further argued that the Prime Minister's previous concerns about division and expert advice contradicted the claim of a planned announcement, calling the subsequent spin 'an embarrassingly fraudulent nonsense'.
