Australia’s federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies will be reviewed to assess whether they have appropriate powers and processes in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
In a statement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the review would be completed in April and published.
“The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation. Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond,” he said.
Dennis Richardson, the former head of ASIO and of the departments of defence and foreign affairs, will lead the review through the prime minister’s own department.
Focused on federal agencies including ASIO and the AFP, the review will examine the “powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe”.
Dennis Richardson will lead the review.
The move was foreshadowed yesterday and follows calls for a broader royal commission covering antisemitism and other questions related to the attack.
Government frontbenchers had downplayed the need for a royal commission, saying these typically took a long time.
The announcement of a review comes after a meeting of the National Security Committee in Canberra on Sunday.
The committee, comprising senior ministers, has met daily since the attack. The government has announced a series of new measures including a review of hate speech laws and a gun “buyback”.
Sunday is a national Day of Mourning to mark one week since the attack targeting Jewish Australians attending a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach and killing 15.
Mr Albanese will attend a service at the site on Sunday evening alongside NSW Premier Chris Minns and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.
Government defends performance of agencies
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who has responsibility for ASIO and the AFP, has expressed “full confidence” in the work of both agencies prior to and following the attack.
The AFP Association, the union for the agency’s staff, wrote to Finance Minister Katy Gallagher last month voicing concerns about “chronic and worsening shortages” in key areas including counter-terrorism.
Royal commission needed into Bondi Beach terror attack, Premier says
Asked about resourcing last week, AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett noted both she and ASIO director-general, Mike Burgess, had been “on the record many times … in relation to the operating environment, how quickly it has changed and how complex it is for us”.
“That means we are constantly assessing, reassessing and prioritising where we put our resources and what we put our resources too,” she said, emphasising that counter-terrorism remained a high priority.
“Where I do need more resources, I do and will have those conversations with government.”
Mr Richardson spoke to the ABC’s AM last Thursday saying there “will need to be a full and proper inquiry of some sort”.
The former bureaucrat said it was important to avoid “jumping to conclusions”.
“I think at this point after a terrorist incident, you’ve always got a lot more questions than answers,” he said.
“[ASIO] would certainly be looking back at what they knew and what they did, however overwhelmingly their resources would be devoted to the terrorist attack.”
Coalition calls for royal commission
The Coalition has consistently called for a royal commission covering not just intelligence agencies, but also the broader policy response to antisemitism and other issues related to the attack.
The NSW government announced its own intentions for a royal commission on Saturday.
In a statement on Saturday, independent MP Allegra Spender, whose electorate covers Bondi, said there should be a “thorough inquiry into causes, accountability, and future action” and that it should have “investigatory powers akin to a royal commission” regardless of its name.
David Littleproud repeated calls for a royal commission in a Sky News interview on Sunday morning, saying it should “look at the failings of decisions made at a political level [and] at intelligence levels”.
Mr Richardson told the ABC on Thursday he was “agnostic” about a royal commission.