Albanese orders review of federal intelligence and policing processes in lead-up to Bondi beach attack | Bondi beach terror attack

Anthony Albanese announces major review into intelligence and law enforcement ahead of Bondi beach attack; This review will evaluate whether institutions have the right powers to keep society safe.

Amid mounting pressure for a Commonwealth royal commission into the killing of 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah event last Sunday, Albanese said former Australian Security Intelligence Agency (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 to keep Australians safe.

Albanese said on Sunday that the Bondi attack “reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our country”.

“Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.”

_{Sign up: AÜ Breaking News email}

Richardson is a former defense and foreign affairs department boss who was director-general for intelligence and security from 1996 to 2005. Richardson, a former ambassador to Washington, was previously tasked by the government to lead a review of Australia’s submarine agency, a key organization for the Aukus nuclear submarine deal.

Albanese said the new review, which will be supported by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, will build on the work of the Independent Intelligence Review, conducted by Richard Maude and Heather Smith and published in March.

More funding has been proposed to increase the capabilities of the nation’s intelligence agencies to maintain preparedness in areas such as economic security, crisis warning and preparedness, and open source intelligence.

Albanese said Richardson’s review would be submitted to the government by the end of April 2026 and confirmed its findings would be made public.

Law enforcement agencies, including Asio and the Australian federal police, have been under pressure since two gunmen launched the attack.

The alleged young shooter, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, came onto Asio’s radar in October 2019 due to his alleged links to people reported to be in the Islamic State cell. Asio looked after Akram for six months but concluded he was not an ongoing threat.

NSW police confirmed Naveed and his father Sajid, 50, had traveled to the Philippines just weeks before the alleged attack on the Chanukah by Sea event in Bondi.

Call for royal commission

On Saturday, Albanese backed plans by New South Wales premier Chris Minns to call for a state-based royal commission into the terror attack, suggesting it would provide a “comprehensive look” at the deadly shooting.

Following the attack, the NSW government said it would seek to introduce new laws to ban pro-Palestinian slogans such as “globalise the intifada” and would also move to ban hateful symbols in legislation to be introduced on Monday.

Minns did not elaborate on the timing of a potential royal commission. He said he was confident the government could appoint a senior judicial official to manage the complexities of an investigation running parallel to a criminal investigation.

The opposition called on the prime minister to set up a Commonwealth royal commission alongside leader Sussan Ley, urging Albanese to immediately recall parliament on Monday to legislate a response.

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg also called for a royal commission.

Albanese reconvened the cabinet’s national security committee on Sunday ahead of an evening visit to the Bondi memorial for the Bondi memorial service.

Flags are being flown at half-mast across the country and Albanese asked Australians to light a candle, place it in their front window and observe a minute’s silence at 6.47pm, the time last week when the attacks began.