JOINT MEDIA RELEASE 10 February 2026
Shadow Attorney-General Andrew Wallace MP, Deputy Chair of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee Senator Leah Blyth and Shadow Minister for Immigration Senator Paul Scarr, said the Albanese Government’s mishandling of the lead-up to the Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion continue to be exposed. This casts further doubt on whether the Government can be trusted to effectively address the scourge of antisemitism in Australia.
Yesterday, during Senate Estimates, the Attorney-General’s Department revealed it had not been consulted on whether a Royal Commission should be established in response to the Bondi terrorist attack. This was despite Prime Minister Albanese claiming at the time that “actual experts” advised against the establishment of a Royal Commission, as part of his relentless efforts to avoid it.
As Senator Paul Scarr said during the hearing, “The Prime Minister actually went out and said actual experts and current experts had advised against a Royal Commission, and now we find that the department within the government that has the particular body of knowledge at its fingertips with respect to royal commissions wasn’t consulted.”
Mr Wallace said it is staggering that the Albanese Government failed to consult its own department, which possesses extensive experience in royal commissions, despite citing unnamed experts.
“It beggars belief that the Albanese Government failed to consult its own department, which has specific expertise in royal commissions, while pointing to unnamed experts to justify the Prime Minister’s intransigence”.
Shockingly, Senator Don Farrell, representing the Attorney-General at the hearing, also admitted he did not know who those unnamed experts were or whether any of them were from the department.
Senator Blyth said this further exposes the lengths the Albanese Government went to dodge a Royal Commission, revealing its complete lack of seriousness in addressing antisemitism.
“The Government’s constant dodging, obfuscation, and mistruths highlight its inability to be trusted on critical issues like antisemitism and national security”.
Concerningly, the Attorney-General’s Department also revealed that the Royal Commission’s scope could extend beyond antisemitism and address broader social cohesion concerns. This follows Senator McCarthy’s comments that she understands the terms of reference to offer the opportunity for raising concerns about racism towards First Nations people. The National Indigenous Australians Agency also said it had been invited by the Attorney-General’s Department to the interdepartmental committee process in relation to the Commission.
Mr Wallace warned that this approach risks diverting the Royal Commission from its focus on the unique and acute issue of antisemitism in Australia.
“The Royal Commission must remain laser-focused on antisemitism and prioritise the needs and concerns of the Jewish community. This is not the time for the Government to try to broaden the scope to cover other issues. Antisemitism in Australia is a unique hatred. It demands targeted, decisive action”.
With the Royal Commission still in the process of being set up, there are also questions about its ability to meet the reporting deadline of December 14. The Commission will have little time to make recommendations on such a complex and wide-ranging issue.
Mr Wallace stressed that it is absolutely critical that the Royal Commission remains appropriately targeted, with the Jewish community and antisemitism experts at the forefront, rather than allowing the process to be diluted.
“The Royal Commission has a lot of work to do in a short time. It must remain focused on the issue of antisemitism and be appropriately resourced to do so. The Jewish community expects that no stone will be left unturned in the search for truth and accountability from this Government and its failures to protect the Jewish Australian community”.
[ENDS]
Media Contacts:
Wallace: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
Blyth: Jana Mates – 0413 277 051 – jana.mates@aph.gov.au
Scarr: Tim Bergh – 0450 285 451 – tim.bergh@aph.gov.au
