Anthony Albanese has announced a major review into intelligence and law enforcement processes in the lead up to the Bondi beach attack, which will consider whether agencies have the right powers to keep the community safe.
Amid growing pressure for a commonwealth royal commission into the killing of 15 people at a Jewish Hanukah event last Sunday, Albanese said former Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) boss Dennis Richardson would lead a review of the agencies.
The four-month review is set to examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe.
The Bondi attack “reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation,” Albanese said in a statement on Sunday.
“Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.”
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Richardson is a former defence and foreign affairs department boss, and was director-general of intelligence and security from 1996 until 2005. A former ambassador to Washington, he has previously been tasked by the government to lead the review into the Australian submarine agency, a key organisation for the Aukus nuclear submarine deal.
Albanese said the new review, to be supported by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, would build on the work of the Independent Intelligence Review, conducted by Richard Maude and Heather Smith and released in March.
It recommended more funding to boost capability across the country’s intelligence agencies, to maintain preparedness across areas including economic security, crisis warning and preparedness, and open source intelligence.
Albanese said Richardson’s review would be provided to the government by the end of April 2026, and confirmed its findings would be made publicly available.
Asio and law enforcement agencies – including the Australian federal police – have come under pressure since two gunmen launched the attack.
The younger alleged shooter, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, came on to Asio’s radar in October 2019 for alleged associations with individuals involved in a reported Islamic State cell. Asio looked at Akram for a period of six months, but concluded he was not an ongoing threat.
NSW police have since confirmed Naveed and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, had travelled to the Philippines only weeks before their alleged attack on the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi.
Calls for royal commission
On Saturday, Albanese backed plans by the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, to call for a state-based royal commission into the terror attack, suggesting it provide a “comprehensive look” at the deadly shooting.
In the wake of the attack, the NSW government also said it would seek to introduce new laws that will ban slogans such as the pro-Palestinian phrase “globalise the intifada”, and will also move to ban hateful symbols in legislation to be introduced on Monday.
Minns has not provided details about the timing of a potential royal commission. He said he was confident the government could appoint a senior judicial officer to navigate the complexities of an inquiry running parallel to the criminal investigation.
The opposition had called on the prime minister to launch a commonwealth royal commission, with leader, Sussan Ley, calling on Albanese to recall parliament on Monday to immediately legislate a response.
Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has also called for a royal commission.
Albanese convened the national security committee of cabinet again on Sunday, ahead of a planned evening visit to the Bondi memorial site for a commemoration on.
Flags are being flown at half mast around the country, and Albanese has asked Australians to light a candle and put it in their front window and to observe a minute’s silence at 6.47pm, the time the shooting commenced last week.
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