Billionaires James Packer and John Hancock, banking and union bosses, and Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, have joined a growing list of high-profile names challenging the Prime Minister’s decision not to call a royal commission into the Bondi massacre.
Anthony Albanese has doubled down on his claim he’s followed “expert” advice from the nation’s security agencies, to instead ask former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson to examine any intelligence shortcomings.
Pressed to name the advisors, Mr Albanese said he’d spoken to “the heads of all the authorities, which is very publicly known.”
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But Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who received a briefing from some of the security agencies on Thursday, said there was no evidence they’d given any advice of the sort.
James Packer leaves the Crown Resorts AGM in 2017. Credit: TRACEY NEARMY/AAPIMAGE
ASIO said only that “the form of any review is a matter for government.”
Late on Thursday, more than 130 of Australia’s leading business and philanthropy figures joined the mountain of calls for a Federal royal commission into anti-Semitism, radicalisation and the events leading up to the deadly December 14 attack.
“As business leaders and proud Australians committed to upholding our values of tolerance and mutual respect, we recognise the need for clear answers as to how the Bondi massacre could occur, and for practical solutions to restore social cohesion and protect the safety of all Australians,” their statement, released on Friday, says.
Jayne Hrdlicka, chief executive officer of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd has added her name to the list. Credit: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg
“We must end the unprecedented harassment, intimidation and violence directed at the Australian Jewish community since October 7, 2023.
“This is a national crisis, which requires a national response. This goes beyond politics, it’s about the future of our country.
“We call on the Australian Government to immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission as a first step towards taking Australia forward with a meaningful, practical plan of action.”
SEE THE FULL LIST BELOW
Their signatories include James Packer, Jayne Hrdlicka, John Hancock, Boral CEO Vik Bansal, Olympian swimmer Grant Hackett and chef Guillaume Brahimi.
Former Reserve Bank governors Philip Lowe and Glenn Stevens signed, as did the former Business Council of Australia head Jennifer Westacott and one-time head of GetUp, Simon Sheikh, who now runs an ethical superannuation fund.
Prominent philanthropists Alan and Carol Schwartz, Sid Meyer and Steven Lowy, sporting executives David Gallop, Andrew Bassat, Barry Carp and Larry Kestelman, and media executives Michael Miller, Peter Tonagh, Michael Stutchbury, Maurice Newman and Fred Hilmer joined.
Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has also signed. Credit: Gaye Gerard /NCA NewsWire
Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg – who was one of the first to call for a royal commission – and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett have also signed.
But it’s the signatories with closer links to Labor who are more likely to put pressure on Mr Albanese.
Daniel Andrews’ deputy premier James Merlino has signed on, as has fund manager Ben Gray, who is married to Victorian Labor MP Luba Grigorovitch (she didn’t sign) and hosted a major fundraiser with Mr Albanese during the election campaign.
So did former Nicholas Moore, who wrote the Albanese Government’s southwest Asia business strategy and is frequently name-checked by the Prime Minister.
Current RBA board members Alison Watkins and Elana Rubin, Ian Watt, who led the public service for Julia Gillard and was put on the NDIA board by Bill Shorten in 2024, and former Australian Workers Union head Paul Howes and his partner Olivia Wirth also signed.
Before now, there have been few prominent Labor-linked figures calling for the royal commission.
The only sitting MPs to have done so are backbenchers Ed Husic and Mike Freelander.
Mr Albanese again defended his position on Thursday, with questions about the royal commission overwhelming his press conference about cost-of-living measures that came into effect with the new year.
He said earlier in the week that “actual experts … current experts have all recommended this course of action” when pressed on who had advised against a royal commission.
Asked on Thursday to name those experts, he said: “Well, Dennis Richardson is one. And I’ve spoken about the people who advise the government. They’re the heads of all of the authorities.”
The heads of key departments such as PM&C, Defence, Treasury, DFAT, Home Affairs, and Attorney-General’s, plus security agencies like the AFP, ASIO, ASIS, the Australian Signals Directorate and the Office of National Intelligence, would typically join meetings of Cabinet’s national security committee.
“We take advice from all of our agencies and all of the experts,” Mr Albanese said.
Ms Ley accused Mr Albanese of “hid(ing) behind national security as a political shield”.
“There is no evidence before me that agencies have provided the Government with the rationale that they have claimed, that they have advised against a Commonwealth royal commission. That is the claim that the Prime Minister made yesterday and made today, and there is nothing that I have obtained in these briefings and conversations to indicate that,” she said.
Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay. Credit: Riley Churchman/The West Australian
Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay separately said a Federal royal commission was vital to understanding the deeper causes of the violent terror attack on a Chanukah celebration that left 15 people dead and dozens more wounded.
Ms Finlay, a former Perth prosecutor who was appointed by the Morrison Government in 2021, said such an inquiry could run alongside the Richardson review.
“The Bondi terrorist attack was driven by anti-Semitism. Confronting that directly must be a national priority,” she wrote on social media.
“A Federal royal commission is essential to fully understand what has happened and ensure it never happens again.”
Mr Albanese said her contribution wouldn’t sway his decision but that “people are entitled to their opinion”.
Former attorney-general Philip Ruddock, who oversaw Howard-era tightening of counter terror laws, said the government should “be able to walk and chew gum” on this matter.
“It’s very unhelpful to be suggesting that, because you’re going to inquire into the way in which the security task has been undertaken, that you shouldn’t look at the wider circumstances,” he said.
Mr Albanese said the Richardson inquiry was just one of four processes underway in response to the Bondi attack.
He pointed to the NSW royal commission – which is yet to be formally started – the court processes and the response to anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal’s report which includes a year-long inquiry into what changes are needed in education, led by businessman David Gonski.
The letter was titled’Australian Business Leaders Call for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Events Leading Up to the Bondi Massacre’ Credit: Supplied
FULL LIST OF SIGNATORIES
Adam Geha – Real estate investment manager at EG
Adam Schwab – Luxury Escapes
Adrienne E Clarke AC – University of Melbourne botany professor
Alan Schwartz AO – Businessman and philanthropist
Alberto Calderon – Resources sector executive
Alex Vynokur – Betashares Financial Group
Alison Kitchen AM – Company director (KPMG, ANU council, NAB)
Alison Watkins AM – RBA Monetary Policy Board
Allan Vidor – Head of property development and hospitality group TOGA
Andrew Bassat – Seek founder and president of St Kilda Football Club
Andrew Bell – Stockbroker
Andrew Pridham AO – Investment banker
Angus Aitken – Stockbroker
Angus Dawson – McKinsey, brother of Lindt siege victim Katrina Dawson
Ann Whitelock – Aspiring Education
Anne Templeton Jones – company director including KPMG, ANU council, NAB
Anthony Burgess – Corporate finance adviser
Anthony Eisen – Afterpay
Audette Exel AO – Businesswoman and philanthropist
Avi Gilboa – Spotlight Group
Barry Carp – Investment banker, president of Collingwood Football Club
Ben Gray – Private equity fund BGH Capital
Ben Pfisterer – Tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Zeller
Brett Paton – Investment banker
Bruce Buchanan – Entrepreneur, Rokt
Cameron McIntyre – REA group
Carol Schwartz AO – Entrepreneur and philanthropist
Carolyn Barker AM – Head of Shine Lawyers
Chad Walker – Property developer
Charles Goode AC – Company director
Chris Garnaut – Investment banker
Christine Christian AO – Businessperson and philanthropist
Christine Holman – Company director, including AGL
Christine O’Reilly – Company director, including ANZ, BHP
Christopher Joye – Investment banker
Christopher Roberts AO – Medical entrepreneur and company executive
Colette Garnsey OAM – Company director including Flight Centre, previously Seven West Media
Con Frantzeskos – Tech entrepreneur
Daniel Minihan – Financial adviser
Darryl Courtney-O’Connor AM – Hospitality founder
David Gallop AM – Lawyer, former head of Football Federation Australia and NRL
David Thodey AO – Businessman, former head of Telstra
Dominic Yap – Tech – Zeller
Elana Rubin AM – Company director, on RBA governance board
Gary Pinshaw – Private equity
Geoff Wilson AO – Investment manager
Glenn Stevens AC – Former RBA governor
Graham Bradley AM – Company director incl Infrastructure NSW, formerly Virgin
Graham Goldsmith AO – Former Goldman Sachs managing director
Grant Hackett – Olympic swimmer
Greg Shand – Property developer
Guillaume Brahimi – Chef
Hamish McLennan – Businessman, former head of Ten
Hon James Merlino – Former Victoria deputy premier for Labor
Hon Jeff Kennett AC –Former Victoria premier
Hon Josh Frydenberg – Former Treasurer
Ian James Watt AC – PM&C head under Gillard, Shorten appointed to NDIA board
Ian Silk – Company executive
Fred Hilmer AO – Company executive including Westfield and Fairfax
James MacKenzie AO – Company director, including Mirvac
James Packer – Billionaire
Janette Kendall – Company director including Bega cheese
Jayne Hrdlicka – Company director including Virgin, Jetstar, and Tennis Australia
Jeffrey Browne – Lawyer, former president of Collingwood
Jennifer Westacott AC – Former BCA head
Jim Dominguez AO – Investment banker
John Hancock – Businessman, Gina Rinehart’s son
John Harkness – Businessman, former head of CEDA
John Knox – Investment executive
John Wylie AC – Investment banker and philanthropist
Jonathan Michael – McKinsey
Kee Wong – Entrepreneur and investor, on AEMO board
Kelly Bayer Rosmarin – former head of Optus
Ken MacKenzie – BHP chair
Larry Diamond – tech entrepreneur – Zip Co
Larry Kestelman – Billionaire, property developer, businessman, co-founder of Dodo, owns the NBL
Leigh Clifford AO – company executive, former chair of Qantas
Lindsay Maxsted – company director, former chairman of Westpac
Mal McHutchison – company executive and director
Malcolm Broomhead AO – company director, resources sector
Mark Woodruff – head of Citi Australia
Matt Wilson – gaming company executive
Matthew Grounds AM – investment banker – Barrenjoey
Maurice Newman AC – businessman, former chair of ABC board
Michael Gutman OBE – investment manager
Michael Heine – billionaire businessman
Michael Miller – head of News Australia
Michael Stephenson – head of ARN Media
Michael Stutchbury – Former AFR editor in chief, now Centre for Independent Studies
Michael Wachtel – company director
Morris Symonds – private equity and investment manager
Nicholas Moore AO – former CEO of Macquarie
Nick Sims – co-head of Goldman Sachs investment banking in Australia
Nigel Fitzgerald – insurance executive
Nora Scheinkestel – banking executive
Olivia Wirth – executive chair of Myer
Patrick Houlihan – head of Dulux
Paul Bassat – lawyer, co-founder of Seek
Paul Howes – former AWU head, now company executive
Paul McClintock AO – company director, chancellor of Notre Dame University
Paul O’Sullivan – company director including ANZ chair
Paula Dwyer – company director
Peter Tonagh – Nine chairman, previously ABC, Foxtel, News Corp Australia
Peter Yates AM – company director
Phil Green – financial advisor
Philip Lowe – former RBA governor
Phillip Wolanski – property developer
Rajeev Menon – Mariott Asia-Pacific boss
Raphael and Fiona Geminder – billionaire founders of packaging company Pact Group
Richard F E (Dick) Warburton AO – Company director
Rob Coombe – company director
Rob McGavin – billionaire founder of Cobram Estate Olives
Robert Millner – company director, chair of Soul Patts
Robert Whyte – billionaire businessman
Robin Bishop – investment banker, founder BGH Capital
Ross McEwan – BHP chair, former head of NAB
Ruslan Kogan – tech entrepreneur
Russel Howcroft – businessman and advertising executive, Gruen Transfer panellist
Sally Herman OAM – company director
Scott Perkins – company director incl chair of Woolworths
Sid Myer – businessman and philanthropist
Simon Rothery – CEO Goldman Sachs Australia
Simon Sheikh – CEO Future Super, former head of GetUp
Simon Morrison – director of Shine Lawyers
Simone Carson AM – non-profit founder
Steven Lowy AM – businessman and philanthropist
Suzi Carp AO – venture capital
Sylvia Falzon – company director
Tim Church – head of Morgan Stanley Australia investment banking
Tim Gurner – property developer
Tim Poole – chair of freight company Aurizon
Tony Berg – company executive
Trevor Loewensohn – investment banker
Warwick Negus – company director, chancellor of UNSW
Will Vicars – billionaire fund manager
