What Australians saw from the Prime Minister today was not leadership equal to the gravity of this moment. Under pressure, he was defensive, irritable and dismissive. These are not the qualities the nation expects from a Prime Minister in the aftermath of the deadliest terrorist attack in our history.
The Prime Minister's explanation for opposing a Commonwealth Royal Commission speaks volumes.
PRIME MINISTER: If you have a look at the broader issues proposed by the opposition. They are into education, the arts, culture, migration, the full suite of employment, into the university sector, into Home Affairs, into the relationship between the Commonwealth and states and the nature of our federation. I mean, there are, it goes A to Y in the subsets, and then within that, and then within that, there are, in some cases, half a dozen subsets within it. It is a referendum into the entire way, not a referendum, a review, or Royal Commission into the whole functioning of Australia.
Press conference, 22 December 2025
He says he cannot support it because it would involve a full examination of the relationship between Commonwealth and state agencies and the parts of our society where antisemitism has been allowed to fester. That is not an argument against a Commonwealth Royal Commission, it is the case for one. A Commonwealth Royal Commission into the 'whole functioning of Australia' is exactly what many Australians, particularly those in the Jewish community, are calling for. Australia just endured our worst ever terrorist attack, with 15 Australians lethally shot.
I am glad the Prime Minister has now read the Coalition's proposed Terms of Reference. They are comprehensive because the task before the nation is comprehensive. Antisemitism is not a political problem to be managed or a communications exercise to be navigated. It is an evil to be eradicated, and that requires serious, sustained and whole of society work.
The Prime Minister's claim that there is simply too much work to do to contemplate a Commonwealth Royal Commission is a cop out. It also underlines why the antisemitism crisis has been mishandled from the very beginning. There is a great deal of work to do precisely because this threat spans governments, institutions and communities, and because warnings have gone unheeded for far too long.
Australians are entitled to ask a direct question. Is the Prime Minister unwilling to do the work, or is he afraid of what a full and independent inquiry would uncover?
Labor cannot credibly claim to be acting in the name of unity while refusing to heed the clear call from the community that was targeted in the worst terrorist attack our country has ever seen. Repeating the words "unity" and "urgency" does not make them real. Urgency would mean recalling the Parliament this week to act now. Leadership is demonstrated through action, not slogans, and Australians can see the difference.
On bipartisanship, let me be clear. Bipartisanship does not mean the Opposition acting as a rubber stamp for weak decisions or failed leadership. At no point has the Prime Minister sought to genuinely engage the Opposition in his approach. He has not shared plans, invited collaboration or built consensus. Instead, he has announced measures late and demanded agreement.
That is not leadership. It is particularly untenable when the Prime Minister refuses to listen to the voices of the community most directly affected by this act of terror.
Standing with the community means more than words. It means truth, accountability and resolve. It means establishing a Commonwealth Royal Commission to fully examine what went wrong and how Australians can be kept safe. Refusing to do so is not neutrality. It is abandonment.
