The Coalition welcomes the tabling of the Interim Report of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, and is concerned by a number of the issues raised.
This Royal Commission raises serious questions about the state of Australia’s counter-terrorism settings and the Albanese Labor Government’s response to the growing threat of extremism and terrorism to Australians.
The Albanese Government resisted the establishment of this Royal Commission, and only conceded that it should occur after overwhelming pressure from the community and the Coalition.
The Interim Report paints a damning picture of a Prime Minister and his Cabinet that simply do not take national security seriously enough, describing how the National Security Committee of Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, was not match fit.
The Royal Commission reveals that the Albanese Government has deprioritised counter-terrorism at a time of heightened terror threats, especially to our Jewish community.
The Royal Commissioner observed that “the proportion of funding allocated to counter-terrorism significantly declined across the National Intelligence Community (NIC)”, including when the National Terrorism Threat Level was raised to “Probable” and when the threat to Jewish Australians in particular was exploding. Under this Government, as the threat went up, funding went down.
The Interim Report finds that the Albanese Government was wrong to get rid of a dedicated Counter-Terrorism Coordinator and has called on the Government to restore a full-time CT Coordinator, as was the case when the position was established by the Coalition.
The Royal Commission confirms the Government’s failures to act on known intelligence, weak coordination and unclear leadership across the national security system, inadequate protection of a clearly high-risk community, and operational shortcomings.
The recommendations call-out outdated protocols and systemic weaknesses in Australia’s counter-terrorism architecture – the result of a Government that has failed to be vigilant and failed to lead. That should be deeply concerning for all Australians.
The Interim Report identifies alarming gaps in preparedness, including that counter-terrorism exercises at the highest levels by the Albanese Government are not being undertaken at the frequency Australians would reasonably expect.
The Interim Report also raises serious concerns about decision-making at the highest levels during the Bondi attack, including that the Albanese Government convened the wrong body to coordinate the response. Instead of calling together the appropriate national crisis body, the National Coordination Mechanism, the Government used an advisory body with no operational role, the ANZCTC, contrary to the Australian Government Crisis Management Framework.
This goes directly to questions of leadership, judgment and the preparedness of the Albanese Labor Government.
The Royal Commission also observed that the proportion of funding directed to counter-terrorism has significantly declined over recent years and has indicated that resourcing for counter-terrorism across the NIC will be subject to further inquiry, including whether it was adequate as the threat environment deteriorated.
These are deeply concerning findings.
The safety of Australians must always be the first obligation of any government. This is especially true for Jewish Australians, who have experienced a deeply troubling rise in fear, anxiety and distress since October 7 2023, including multiple terrorist attacks on Australian soil.
That is unacceptable in a country like Australia. Jewish Australians deserve to feel safe in their homes, schools and communities. Many do not.
The Interim Report highlights serious gaps in how threats have been monitored, reassessed and responded to, particularly as global conditions deteriorated following October 7.
It is particularly concerning that known individuals were not adequately re-examined as risks escalated, and that insufficient action was taken as the frequency and severity of threats increased in Australia.
The Government must accept responsibility for the failures identified and outline exactly how it will address them. It must not dodge or deflect.
The upcoming Budget gives this Government an opportunity to start to provide the leadership they have so far failed to provide to keep us safe. The Budget must address the Royal Commissioner’s finding that “the proportion of funding allocated to counter-terrorism significantly declined across the NIC.”
The Opposition expects to be briefed on the Interim Report’s confidential recommendations as soon as possible and will support stronger counter-terrorism measures, push for the timely implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, and hold the Government accountable for delivery.
Australians will rightly be asking how these warning signs were missed, and why more was not done sooner. On matters of national security, they deserve clear answers.
The Coalition stands with all Australians, including the Jewish community, at this difficult time.
ENDS