Yesterday, the Federal Government announced it would open a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism, bowing to weeks of mounting pressure. And the Prime Minister joins us live now in Canberra. Good morning to you, Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, good to be with you.
WOIWOD: We've had Jewish leaders on Sunrise just this morning saying that this delay has forced families to emerge from their grief to actually become advocates for this Royal Commission. Now, is that something you regret?
PRIME MINISTER: I've sat down in the homes of families who are grieving. I've listened to them. We've also made sure that we've got this right in an orderly way. This is actually a record time for the calling of a Royal Commission. The last funeral was just two days ago. And so I have listened, we've made sure that we've got it right as well. What we know is that the New South Wales Government had already announced a Royal Commission. We said that we would fully cooperate with that. That in effect would have been a Commonwealth Royal Commission. But just around events in New South Wales and antisemitism there. We needed to make sure that there weren't two Royal Commissions. Now, the New South Wales Government last night announced that they would not be proceeding with theirs - that was important. We also wanted to make sure that there wasn't any interference with any legal processes. We will have a court case going forward against one of these alleged terrorist perpetrators, the one who was not killed during December 14. So, we needed to make sure that the processes which were immediate that we established within days was the Richardson Review, to make sure that we got the national security measures looked at in an appropriate way under Dennis Richardson. Now, we've found a way to roll that into the Commonwealth Royal Commission. But I understand, because I've listened, that grieving families and others in the Jewish community wanted a broader consideration of the issue of antisemitism, how we deal with it. People in the community as well want to deal with social cohesion. And we've done that with a proper announcement, with proper terms of reference that will be signed off or instituted. The Royal Commission will begin today with the meeting of the Executive Council at the Governor-General's residence at 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. It's essential for bringing the nation together in national unity and building social cohesion while we tackle the evil scourge that is antisemitism.
EDWINA BARTHOLOMEW, HOST: Prime Minister, why don't you just say simply, it's still on the table, we're still considering it, we're looking at it? As opposed to the language which suggested it would take too long, it would create too much disunity?
PRIME MINISTER: I stood right here and said we'd fully cooperate with the Royal Commission that was announced by New South Wales, but there were no details there. So, one of the things that we had to do was to work these issues through. It's been very different conversations that I've had with members of the Jewish community, not just families, but other members of the community as well. And I thank them for the way that they've engaged - they've been welcoming, they've been generous. I've sat in people's homes, I've had people to Kirribilli House, we've had people to Admiralty House. I've met people in my office in Sydney, I've met people by their hospital beds at St. Vincent's and at Prince Alfred Hospital. Just yesterday, we medevaced Gefen to Israel, who had horrific injuries. I met with his family as well, by his hospital bed at St. Vincent's just on Wednesday night. And my priority has been dealing with all of those issues while working through, making sure that we got any decision around a Commonwealth Royal Commission right.
WOIWOD: Prime Minister, you and your Ministers initially argued that a Royal Commission would expose some very deep divisions in our society and cause big harm and that was a big enough of a reason not to hold one. Do you still hold those same concerns?
PRIME MINISTER: What we've done is look at ways in which we could alleviate those concerns. And that's why, in the terms of reference for the Royal Commission, it has a clear clause in the preamble about the conduct of the Royal Commission to make sure that it doesn't interfere with legal matters that are ongoing. This is quite a complex issue. There haven't been a Royal Commission before while a legal case was going on. I suspect that might have been one of the reasons why there wasn't a Royal Commission into what happened at the Lindt Cafe, just across the road, of course, from Channel 7, where you were located at that time, or indeed of Port Arthur, or of these other events. This is quite unique. And on social cohesion, one of the things that the conduct of the Royal Commission will take place under Commissioner Bell is that they will have to do it in a way that takes into account the need to build and protect social cohesion.
BARTHOLOMEW: Josh Frydenberg responded to this, saying that, 'this was never about politics, it never has been'. But from the get go, it really has. You know, you look at the polls, you look at the front pages. I'm sure you have been doing so and your team as well. Do you regret, or are you disappointed in how political this issue has become from the very beginning, almost days after the attack?
PRIME MINISTER: It wasn't days after, it was the very next day, unfortunately. There shouldn't be any politics in this. This is a moment for the nation to come together. That is something that I have done. I haven't responded to some of the political comments that have been made, including by Mr Frydenberg. I have engaged, respectfully, seeking to lower the temperature of this debate. It's something that I think the families that I've spoken to certainly wanted to see. They wanted the conduct to be with dignity and with respect. That's something that I have sought to do at each and every stage. I haven't responded to some of the criticisms which have been there. What I've sought to do is to work with families in the community to seek outcomes which are positive. And we did that with the announcement yesterday. But we didn't, we didn't wait. We established the Richardson Review. We upgraded some of the security issues that needed to be dealt with as well immediately.
BARTHOLOMEW: Prime Minister, we did wait for a royal commission. But just one final question before we let you go -
PRIME MINISTER: No, what we did do was to act immediately on the things that were required, that were the immediate priorities. The immediate priority was, are there any national security issues arising from this? We needed to examine through the National Security Committee whether these people, the Akrams, were part of a wider cell, whether there'd be other events following. If you look at terrorist actions around the world, what you often have is one event followed up the next day by another. We needed to prioritise absolutely those national security issues, get on top of them, sit down with our security and intelligence agencies.
BARTHOLOMEW: And no one disputes that, Prime Minister. But many people arguing that the two things could have happened at the same time. Very quickly, there are some of the families of the victims who say you haven't met with them and they're still waiting for you just to say a simple sorry. Will you say that?
PRIME MINISTER: I have met with the range of families. I've met with anyone who has asked to meet with me at any time. I've made the offer through the community, the Chabad community, which is where most people who are the victims of this terrorist attack are from there in Bondi. I, of course, am sorry for the grief and for what they are going through. My heart breaks for them. This is such a tragedy. People should be able to celebrate their faith, the victory of light over darkness, which is what Chanukah is about. And what I have attempted to do in an orderly way, the way that my government functions is orderly, considered get to the right decision, do it in the right order, and that is what we have sought to do here. And of course, my heart breaks for these families.
WOIWOD: Well, Prime Minister, we hope that this is the great unifying moment that the country has been crying out for. And we thank you for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.
