The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion in response to the recent Bondi terrorist attack. The commission will be chaired by Virginia Bell, a former high court judge with expertise in criminal law.
Albanese stated that he had been working on the logistics of the inquiry for weeks and had a draft of the legislation ready for community members to review. He expressed hope that parliament would begin debating the legislation before January 26.
The decision comes after Labor's initial refusal to establish a royal commission, with Albanese acknowledging it was an "appropriate way forward" for national unity.
Meanwhile, Australia is bracing for another day of extreme heat and bushfire conditions in Victoria, where six emergency warnings have been issued for areas including Longwood and 25km west of Walwa. The entire state will be under a fire ban tomorrow as the heatwave continues.
In New South Wales, the government has welcomed Labor's announcement, with Opposition Leader Natalie Ward stating that it was a "long-overdue" step in addressing antisemitism and social cohesion.
However, the NSW government had previously announced plans for its own royal commission into the Bondi attack, which will not proceed given the federal inquiry.
The Jewish community has expressed relief and appreciation at the announcement of the federal inquiry, with some critics calling it a "politicised" move.
Albanese stated that he listened to a range of voices and views, including Josh Frydenberg's concerns about Justice Bell's past decisions on protest laws.
Critics have argued that taking four weeks to make the decision didn't help "lower the temperature", but Albanese maintained that the federal government had arrived at an "appropriate way forward for national unity".
Albanese stated that he had been working on the logistics of the inquiry for weeks and had a draft of the legislation ready for community members to review. He expressed hope that parliament would begin debating the legislation before January 26.
The decision comes after Labor's initial refusal to establish a royal commission, with Albanese acknowledging it was an "appropriate way forward" for national unity.
Meanwhile, Australia is bracing for another day of extreme heat and bushfire conditions in Victoria, where six emergency warnings have been issued for areas including Longwood and 25km west of Walwa. The entire state will be under a fire ban tomorrow as the heatwave continues.
In New South Wales, the government has welcomed Labor's announcement, with Opposition Leader Natalie Ward stating that it was a "long-overdue" step in addressing antisemitism and social cohesion.
However, the NSW government had previously announced plans for its own royal commission into the Bondi attack, which will not proceed given the federal inquiry.
The Jewish community has expressed relief and appreciation at the announcement of the federal inquiry, with some critics calling it a "politicised" move.
Albanese stated that he listened to a range of voices and views, including Josh Frydenberg's concerns about Justice Bell's past decisions on protest laws.
Critics have argued that taking four weeks to make the decision didn't help "lower the temperature", but Albanese maintained that the federal government had arrived at an "appropriate way forward for national unity".
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idk if having a former high court judge like virginia bell as the chair is gonna help though, maybe they shouldve picked someone from within the jewish community tho? 
anywayz, it sounds like labors been trying to find middle ground and address some serious issues 
gotta keep an eye on how this all plays out
. But on the other hand, isn't it just going to create more work for the government? Like, aren't they already super busy with all the bushfire stuff? 
And what if this commission is just a bunch of politicians talking about the same thing over and over again? 
. First, it's a royal commission into antisemitism, then one about social cohesion... can't they just make up their minds? 
It feels like the government is trying to cover every single issue under the sun instead of focusing on one thing and doing it properly. And what's with the politics? Albanese says he listened to everyone's views, but I'm sure Josh Frydenberg was just trying to stir some trouble 
. Can't we have a civil conversation about this stuff for once? 
On a related note, have you guys ever used browser extensions to streamline your search results or website blockers to minimize distractions while browsing? I personally use uBlock Origin and it's been a game-changer for my productivity 
. cant wait to see what kinda 'progress' this inquiry will make 
. and btw, whats with the fire ban tomorrow? seems like just another day in australia 
It's about time Australia addresses its antisemitism issue. The fact that Josh Frydenberg was involved in discussions with Albanese shows the gov is listening to concerns from all sides. But seriously, it's a step towards healing and unity for our community. Fingers crossed this commission gets the job done and helps prevent more attacks like the Bondi one 