No royal commissions after Port Arthur or Lindt siege, Albanese says
On the calls from the Coalition for a federal royal commission (not just the state one that the NSW premier, Chris Minns, has already said he intends to hold), the PM notes that there were no royal commissions called in the wake of previous major terror attacks in Australia.
Albanese says:
I just note that there was no royal commission called by the Howard government after Port Arthur. There was no royal commission called by the Abbott government after the Lindt siege. We provided on both those occasions as the opposition – and I was a part of that opposition – we provided support for national unity at that time and we have now New South Wales has said that they’re going to have a royal commission. We’ve said we’ll cooperate with that and we certainly will. And the Richardson review will be completed by April.
I note the clauses, the 25 clauses with subclauses add up to more than 100, more than 100 areas of investigation have been called for in a royal commission by the Coalition. If you go through them all, that would report in many years to come. And there hasn’t been a royal commission held recently that has not had an extension of time.
We know who the (alleged) perpetrators are here. One of them is dead and one of them has now been transferred to Long Bay jail. We know they are (allegedly) motivated by the evil ideology of Isis and a perversion of Islam. We are continuing to investigate whether any other connections can be made, and the amount of work that has been done by police and security agencies in a relatively short period of time is quite extraordinary.
Key events
Albanese says MPs’ family travel entitlements to be wound back
Krishani Dhanji
The prime minister has announced travel entitlements for the families of parliamentarians will be wound back, after the PM sought advice from the expenses watchdog.
Anthony Albanese announced significant changes at a press conference on Tuesday, in response to questions from a journalist, where he revealed he’d received the advice from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (Ipea) nine days ago.
The changes would stop parliamentarians being able to claim Australia-wide travel for their spouses, and all travel must be via economy class.
Spouses would be allowed to claim travel in accompanying a parliamentarian between their home and Canberra or within the MP’s electorate, or Senator’s state.
The PM said the remunerations tribunal will now consider the changes, which the PM said would keep the process “at arm’s length” , but would also consider the impact for young families.
He said:
We also have indicated in the correspondence to the Remuneration Tribunal that careful consideration be given to new new mothers or fathers, but to children essentially who are dependents as well, to make sure that we don’t disadvantage parents. We want a Parliament that reflects Australia in all its diversity.
Today, the attorney-general, Michelle Rowland, repaid thousands of dollars in expenses she claimed for a trip which included time on a family holiday in Perth.
Penry Buckley
NSW premier’s chief of staff wins case against parliament over century-old law
The chief of staff of the New South Wales premier has won a landmark case which could have forced him to appear before a parliamentary inquiry, with the court ruling a power allowing the government to compel individuals to give evidence at committees is unconstitutional.
As Guardian Australia has reported, the premier’s chief of staff, James Cullen, had argued the court should not be able to compel him to give evidence before a parliamentary inquiry because it could politicise the justice system.
The case was brought by Cullen after he refused a parliamentary summons to appear before a committee examining the leaking of confidential minutes from a report on the proposed sale of Rosehill racecourse earlier this year. Under a 1901 law, the president of the Legislative Council, Ben Franklin, had sought a warrant for Cullen’s arrest.
In a judgment published today, NSW supreme court chief justice Andrew Bell, and justices Mark Leeming and Stephen Free, found the provisions of the Parliamentary Evidence Act used to compel Cullen to appear were invalid “because they contravene the limitation on state legislative power”.
They have ordered Cullen’s committee summons be dismissed, and the office of the president pay his costs.
In a statement today, Cullen said the decision was “a comprehensive win for democracy and the integrity of the courts”.
Albanese responds to Sussan Ley comments
Sussan Ley’s comments from earlier today, in which she claimed the prime minister had only called her once since the Bondi attack, has been put to Anthony Albanese. He responds:
I called her on a Sunday night. I spoke to her again on the Monday morning. I think people will judge whether Sussan Ley and others been engaging in bipartisanship or not since then.
You know, we have engaged constructively. We’ve provided briefings for the leader of the opposition, we’ve provided appropriate briefings, and we’ll continue to engage constructively and we’ll continue to engage right across the parliament as well.
No royal commissions after Port Arthur or Lindt siege, Albanese says
On the calls from the Coalition for a federal royal commission (not just the state one that the NSW premier, Chris Minns, has already said he intends to hold), the PM notes that there were no royal commissions called in the wake of previous major terror attacks in Australia.
Albanese says:
I just note that there was no royal commission called by the Howard government after Port Arthur. There was no royal commission called by the Abbott government after the Lindt siege. We provided on both those occasions as the opposition – and I was a part of that opposition – we provided support for national unity at that time and we have now New South Wales has said that they’re going to have a royal commission. We’ve said we’ll cooperate with that and we certainly will. And the Richardson review will be completed by April.
I note the clauses, the 25 clauses with subclauses add up to more than 100, more than 100 areas of investigation have been called for in a royal commission by the Coalition. If you go through them all, that would report in many years to come. And there hasn’t been a royal commission held recently that has not had an extension of time.
We know who the (alleged) perpetrators are here. One of them is dead and one of them has now been transferred to Long Bay jail. We know they are (allegedly) motivated by the evil ideology of Isis and a perversion of Islam. We are continuing to investigate whether any other connections can be made, and the amount of work that has been done by police and security agencies in a relatively short period of time is quite extraordinary.
Asked what he makes of Sussan Ley’s comments yesterday that claimed he and senior ministers hadn’t shown sufficient grief and emotion after the attack, Albanese says:
I certainly do regret the politicisation of this issue. This is a time where the nation needs to come together in unity and with that sense of purpose, this is not a time for people to look for political product differentiation for the sake of it. And I’ll continue to argue for unity. I’ll continue to conduct myself in a way that’s consistent with that call for national unity, with being focused on making a difference, with providing support for the agencies who are conducting their investigations. I would hope that other people do that too.
That is what happens at a time of national crisis and mourning. That is what national leaders do. That is what has happened in the past. And I must say, I thank those people from across the world, but across here as well – I’ve had leaders from across the political spectrum, former leaders reach out saying that that is what we should be seeing in Australia right now.
We’re into questions now, and when asked about the transparency of the prospective Dennis Richardson report into the actions of Asio and law enforcement leading up to the Bondi shooting, Anthony Albanese says what is “appropriate” to make public will be, but also cautions the media to apply “common sense” to publication of information.
The PM says:
(Richardson) will make whatever is appropriate, can be made public, will be made public. Obviously, as you’ve seen as well, yesterday, I note that a range of the police documentation was made public as well, about the work that has been done to not just identify the perpetrators, of course, but to go through the detail of the time line. All of that is public.
I would suggest as well that media organisations – I just caution about some common sense being applied here as well about the way that things are published, including pictures. What we don’t want is to see motivations that are not appropriate encouraged either. Josh.
Legal thresholds for hate groups and preachers will be lowered, Burke says
On antisemitism and hate speech, Tony Burke says “consultation is occurring in earnest with the leadership of the Jewish community of Australia”.
There will be a lower threshold for what constitutes hate speech, Burke flags. He says:
The work that’s being done in consultation with the leadership of the Jewish community will feed directly into the drafting which will take place. But people should be in no doubt about where the target is as this drafting is done. We want to make sure that those hate preachers who have managed to keep themselves just on the legal side of Australian law, that the threshold is lowered so that those statements that we have seen that every reasonable Australian has viewed as horrific and as having no place in Australia will become criminal.
Similarly, for organisations which for a generation – organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir and the neo-Nazis – for a generation have managed to keep themselves just on the legal side of Australian law but never on the side of the Australian community. Organisations which by definition hate modern Australia, that the thresholds will be lowered to allow them to be listed organisations under a new regime so that even if you don’t satisfy the definition of terrorism, you can still be listed as an organisation which is not able to operate in Australia.
Legislative changes to address ‘motivation and method’ behind attack, Burke says
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has stepped up to speak now, and goes into some further detail, saying the issues that need to be addressed are both “the motivation and the method” – antisemitism and gun violence.
Burke says:
Yesterday, the senior officials group, which has been established federally dealing with home affairs and attorney general’s and across various police and justice portfolios and premiers departments of the states and territories, met for the first time. They’re now commencing work on implementing the decisions which had been made at national cabinet. That work is consultative and ongoing.
We’ll now be drafting instructions for the commonwealth components of legislative changes. Some of those drafting instructions will be issued tomorrow. Others will be immediately after Christmas.
The commonwealth firearms reform package includes a gun buy-back scheme, intelligence sharing, import controls for firearms related goods, new offences relating to 3D printed firearms and consideration of removing merits review at different parts of the application process.
The hate crimes database and the national firearms register are both being accelerated to be able to provide the best possible information both to the public generally and to the authorities that issue gun licences. That deals with the method of guns in terms of the motivation.
Albanese repeats call for ‘more guns off our streets’ after Bondi massacre
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking now in Canberra, after the 10th meeting of the national security committee following the Bondi shooting.
The prime minister’s introductory remarks are largely made up of a summary of the action that the government has taken and is taking in the aftermath of the attacks.
Albanese says:
At all of these (national security committee) meetings, we receive updates from the Australian federal police commissioner from the heads of our security agencies, Asio and Asis, as well as from departments as well. Today also we received updates from (attorney general Michelle) Rowland and (home affairs minister Tony) Burke about the work that’s progressing on law reform, including the discussion with the states about progressing gun reform. The terrible events at Bondi show that we do need more guns off our streets. The fact there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of the Port Arthur massacre is of real concern to Australians and it needs to change.
We also expect the NSW premier, Chris Minns, to speak to media at midday AEDT. Plan your lunch breaks accordingly.
Prime minister to speak shortly
We’re expecting the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to hold a press conference at 11.30am AEDT – less than 15 minutes away. We’ll bring you that when it happens.
The official memorial for the victims of the Bondi shooting was removed yesterday, but people are still leaving flowers for them. These photos were taken on Monday afternoon.
Banning pro-Palestine protest phrase ‘might make it popular’, organisers say
Penry Buckley
The constitutional challenge to the Minns government’s proposed anti-protest laws has support from a broad coalition of protest groups and advocates, including Labor Friends of Palestine, the NSW Council of Civil Liberties and climate activist group Rising Tide, all of whom spoke at today’s press conference.
The challenge is being supported in parliament by the NSW Greens, who have backed gun control reforms but condemned protest law changes. The party’s justice spokesperson, Sue Higginson, says the Greens will move amendments today to split the government’s bill, but may be forced to abstain from the final vote. Lower house Greens member Jenny Leong abstained from the second and third reading votes yesterday.
Questions from reporters have focused on the phrase “globalise the intifada”, which the NSW premier, Chris Minns, has said he intends to ban. Yesterday, hundreds gathered in Sydney to protest against the laws on public assemblies, with some chanting the phrase.
Josh Lees, organiser for the Palestine Action Group, says:
It’s a basic act of us supporting the uprisings of Palestinians against their oppression, against illegal occupation and genocide … and by the way, we have never chanted this, I’ve never chanted this in the last two years. So the fact that Chris Minns wants to ban it might make it popular. That’s the irony of this whole thing.
The government has said it will ask a parliamentary committee to investigate banning other “hateful statements”, including the controversial phrase, in further hate speech laws to be introduced next year, but this is not included in this week’s bill.
Debate has now begun in the NSW upper house. We will continue to bring you updates throughout the day.
Lego sets worth $3,000 stolen from Victorian toy store
Victoria police are appealing for public assistance after $3,000 worth of Lego was stolen from a toy store in the regional town of Colac on early on Sunday morning.
In a statement today (and I sincerely apologise for this in advance), police said:
Two offenders, lacking in Christmas spirit, forced their way through the front doors of the store on Murray Street in Colac about 4am.
With only two sleeps left until Christmas, Santa’s elves will have to work overtime as the pair stole $3K worth of Lego sets.
The thieves fled the scene in a grey Audi.
Police have released CCTV and images of two men who may assist police with their enquiries.
Investigators believe the offenders entered the store the day prior to the burglary.
They described the alleged offenders as follows:
The first offender is described as Caucasian in appearance, 160cms tall, of medium build, with black hair and wearing a black t-shirt, grey pants, grey runners and a black motorcycle helmet.
The second offender is described as Caucasian in appearance, 188cms tall, of medium build, with brown hair and wearing grey tracksuit pants, white runners, a black baseball cap and a distinctive black and white t-shirt.
Police are very keen to speak to any witnesses or anyone in the area at the time of the incident, and urged those who may have information to contact Crimestoppers.
Michelle Rowland pays back “around $10,000” in family travel expenses
Josh Butler
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, says she has repaid thousands in public expenses she claimed for a trip which included time on a family holiday in Perth.
At the height of the expenses and travel spending saga several weeks ago, Rowland said she had received advice from the parliamentary expenses watchdog that “a portion of the family reunion travel expenses were outside the guidelines”, relating to a trip she’d taken to Western Australia in July 2023.
Rowland’s office said she had undertaken at least 10 official engagements during the trip, which also included her flying family members to join her there.
In an ABC radio interview this morning, Rowland confirmed she’d repaid about half the total cost of the trip.
Rowland said:
I received advice from the independent authority that a portion of that, for one use two and a half years ago was outside the guidelines. So, I sought advice on that and repaid that amount.
The full figure will be publicly released in time. It was around $10,000. Again, I point out this is the point of IPEA. We sought advice so that that could be acted on, and that was.
Three groups to launch challenge against NSW protest laws as soon as January
Penry Buckley
The Palestine Action Group and Jews Against the Occupation have announced they will bring a constitutional challenge to controversial laws which restrict protests for up to three months following a terrorist attack.
The third co-applicant is the First Nations-led Blak Caucus. There are concerns about the laws’ potential impact on Invasion Day rallies on 26 January, which would fall within three months of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
The laws passed the lower house last night as part of the government’s omnibus bill on gun control, hate speech and protests, and is expected to pass the upper house tonight. The Greens have indicated they will move amendments to the protest laws in tonight’s debate.
Criminal defence lawyer Nick Hanna, who is representing the groups, said a challenge would likely be moved in early January on the basis that the laws burden the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian constitution.
There is yet to be any suggestion that the two (alleged) terrorists attended a single protest, or even supported the protests. In fact, we know that they are apparently inspired by the Islamic State, which is ideologically opposed to the Palestine protests. And so I think it’s for good reason that large segments of the public will be deeply concerned about the laws being passed today.
Constitutional law expert Prof Anne Twomey has said because the laws would ban the authorisation of protests under NSW’s form 1 system, rather than banning public assemblies outright, a challenge may not be successful. Hanna says his understanding is that the legislation “has the potential to effectively ban all protests for any cause”.
“After the awful attack at Bondi, Australia is facing several reckonings,” Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz writes for Guardian Australia today.
He continues:
There’s a long-overdue national focus on antisemitism, something that the Jewish community has been worried about as long as I have been alive. There’s the ongoing concern about national security, and questions about how something like this could have happened. But to me, as a public health expert and Jewish Australian, perhaps the most important conversation we are finally having is the one about guns.
You can read the full opinion piece here:
Sussan Ley defends ‘expressing my anger and disappointment’ in outburst against Wong and Albanese
The federal opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has defended her outburst against Penny Wong and Labor yesterday, saying she was simply “expressing my anger and disappointment”.
Speaking on Seven’s Sunrise this morning, Ley said she was “not going to tolerate the empty rhetoric and weak response (to the Bondi shooting) we have seen from this Albanese government”.
Ley continued:
The feeling, the anger, the dismay, the distress is palpable (in the community). It has taken the prime minister eight days to say the word “sorry”. If it takes him another eight days to call royal commission, that that is a shame, but he could do that today. He could recall the parliament to pass stronger laws to address the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil.
When the presenters noted that the attack felt very personal, Ley said:
It was me expressing my anger and disappointment on behalf of the community to the government. That’s what it was. I won’t tolerate, as I said, the weak response I have seen or (comments like Wong’s suggestion that the community) “take the temperature down”. This community is desperately seeking the one thing that will start the healing journey, which is this commission.
