Sorry, PM: full Bondi inquiry can be short, sharp

Royal commissions can be flexible and fast-moving instruments for seeking the truth, informing the public and advising government.

Anthony Albanese and his ministers claim, among other reasons, the federal government will not appoint a royal commission into anti Semitism and the Bondi Beach massacre because it would "take years to report" and therefore would be unsuitable to investigate this calamitous event.

But this is an inaccurate assessment of how royal commissions historically have worked in Australia. More than half of the 138 federal royal commissions appointed have had a duration of less than 12 months, with many taking as little as two to six months to report. Indeed, the Albanese government's own Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme took only 10 months.

Australia's first federal royal commission into the death of soldiers returning from the Boer War was over in two months, while the 1918 royal commission concerning recruitment issues during World War I took only 29 days but in fact was delivered in a week. Royal commissions into natural disasters, such as the 2020 one into bushfires appointed by the Morrison government, was done quickly and effectively in 10 months, while the two commissions into the HMAS Voyager disaster during the 1960s took six and nine months, respectively.

Similarly, royal commissions into the alleged scandals such as the Centenary House lease issue, appointed by the Keating and Howard governments, were each completed in six and five months. Even when governments appoint royal commissions to investigate the actions of its predecessor – where prolonging an inquiry can maximise political damage – they often have been done quickly, such as the Abbott government's Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program was over in nine months.

Let's also not forget the famous 1925 Royal Commission on Health, which was appointed in the aftermath of the 1919 pandemic. During that period expert health members travelled around Australia for hearings and faced resistance from the states, but the inquiry was all done in 12 months, laying the foundations of Australia's national health system.

Certainly, some royal commissions have taken longer, such as the 1980-84 Royal Commission into the Activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (the Costigan royal commission) that took 49 months, but it released five interim reports so immediate action could be taken concerning its findings as it progressed.

Similarly, the Gillard government's 2013 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse may have taken 47 months to submit its final report, but it too released interim reports and 52 research papers so action could be taken sooner rather than later.

In March 1942, following the Japanese bombing of Darwin, in which several hundred Australians died, a royal commission type inquiry was established by the Labor government under the National Security Act. It began sitting on March 5 and submitted its first report on March 27 and final report April 9. It was a thorough review and, although not publicly released at the time, it had major effects on Australia's future war effort.

The more recent record of federal governments appointing royal commissions is varied. The Whitlam government appointed 13 royal commissions, Fraser eight, Hawke-Keating 12, Howard four and Rudd Gillard one, and the previous Coalition government eight. Some were appointed for legitimate reasons, others opportunistically, and some reluctantly. Some went too far and cost too much, but several have been watershed inquiries in tackling corruption, improving aged care, disability, children services and banking accountability.

To date the Albanese government has reneged on its promise to appoint a federal royal commission into the pandemic, ignoring recommendations of two Senate committee reports. It also rejected proposals in 2024 from the federal opposition for a royal commission to review anti-Semitism on university campuses. The Albanese government, after consultation about the terms and membership, should appoint a royal commission with NSW into the Bondi Beach massacre and anti-Semitism with terms of reference segmenting the matter into a series of distinct issues for interim reports.

At present the Albanese government's inaction on this matter speaks louder than any words it is uttering.