But Albanese this week changed his message, and did not rule out a federal inquiry. “We’re continuing to examine everything else that is required,” he said on Tuesday.
“I continue to be engaged with leaders in the Jewish community. I’m talking and meeting on a daily basis with people to make sure that we do everything that is possible to, as I have said, what we need to do is to promote unity at this time, and that is my focus.”
A growing number of Jewish leaders, including former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, on Thursday raised concerns about the mooted appointment of former High Court judge Virginia Bell as Albanese’s choice to lead a royal commission, warning that broad community consensus over the commissioner “should be a minimum requirement” for the inquiry to succeed.
Bell was appointed by Albanese in 2022 to probe Scott Morrison’s multiple ministries, and has been hailed by several eminent judges for the clarity and precision of her judgments.
Calls for a royal commission had come from the families of Bondi victims, national and state Jewish community groups, more than 200 senior members of the Australian Bar, over 100 captains of industry, the Business Council of Australia, the Law Council of Australia, Catholic bishops, prominent sports stars and two Labor backbenchers.
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Former Labor frontbencher Mike Kelly, a leader of the Labor Friends of Israel group, said this week that several Labor figures – who because of their current or former positions within the party did not want to comment publicly – had also privately lobbying the prime minister to reverse course.
More to come
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