Bondi Federal royal commission: 138 business leaders join calls to challenge Anthony Albanese’s call

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.”

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.

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.

“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 – 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 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.

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

Jack Zhang – Airwallex

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

Leon Zwier – lawyer

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

Vik Bansal – CEO Boral

Warwick Negus – company director, chancellor of UNSW

Will Vicars – billionaire fund manager