SENATOR THE HON JAMES MCGRATH

SHADOW SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE

SHADOW MINISTER FOR URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CITIES

SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS

SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND

SENATOR THE HON MATT CANAVAN

SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND

MEDIA RELEASE 

22 December 2025

ROYAL COMMISSION NEEDED FOLLOWING YEARS OF LABOR INACTION ON ANTISEMITISM

Queensland LNP Senators JamesMcGrath and Matt Canavan are today calling out the Albanese Labor Government for years of inaction on religiously motivated violent extremism, following theCoalition’s call for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attacks.

In December 2023, the AlbaneseGovernment established a Senate Inquiry into right wing extremism. TheCoalition moved to expand this inquiry to include “ideologically motivated and religiously motivated violent extremism” but was blocked by the Government.

Senator James McGrath said the Albanese Labor Government needs to front up to its record of inaction which has allowed antisemitism to thrive in Australia, culminating in the Bondi attack.

“Two years ago, the Coalition sounded the warning on growing religious-fuelled violent extremism and tried to proactively uncover this increasing threat. Those warnings fell on deaf ears in the Government,” Senator McGrath said.

“I moved to establish a Senate inquiry that would have put a spotlight on the ideology that led to the attack.

“The horrific attacks in Bondi were born out of years of inaction from the Albanese Labor Government, which has buried its head in the sand and ignored the warnings from the Coalition and the Jewish community.”

Senator Canavan said a Commonwealth Royal Commission was needed to truly understand what led to the horrific attack.

“Australians deserve a Commonwealth Royal Commission to understand exactly how this attack occurred, what the many warning signs were and why this government failed to act,” Senator Canavan said.

“The Prime Minister’s half-baked agency review will only shift blame away from the Government, instead of getting to the root issues that led to the attack.

“Nothing short of a Commonwealth Royal Commission is appropriate after such a systemic government failure.”

The Coalition has proposed a draft terms of reference for a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi terrorist attack.

ENDS

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