Doorstop – Mural Hall, Parliament House with Mr Julian Leeser MP

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Topics: Antisemitism Royal Commission; housing; NDIS.

E&OE……………………..

Julian Leeser: The Antisemitism Royal Commission needs more time. There are too many witnesses like protest organisers and government ministers that it simply hasn’t been heard. We want the government to extend the Antisemitism Royal Commission to honour the victims of the Bondi terrorist attack. It's a shame that the government voted to gag debate. We hope that they will relent and grant the Royal Commission more time. Tim.

Tim Wilson: Thank you, Julian. This morning Julian Leeser moved an important motion about the need to extend the Royal Commission into Antisemitism. At the start of this year, we had many fine speeches delivered in this Parliament to the tragic loss of 15 lives as a consequence of the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil and on our most famous beach. To honour those victims and the lives lost, we need to make sure that this Royal Commission achieves its ends, which is to highlight the scourge of Antisemitism and where it hides in our country. That's why we've called on, and I'm proud to have seconded a motion to extend the Royal Commission to ensure that it calls before it the witnesses that need to be heard, to make sure there's accountability where it's required, and to make sure that Australia can move forward together.

Journalist: Julian, have Jewish community groups come to you to sort of lobby the government on behalf lobby the government to extend the reporting times?

Julian Leeser: There are many people in the Jewish community and many people in the broader Australian community that are concerned about the Antisemitism that has infected this country over the last few years and that has grown exponentially. This is the one chance, this Royal Commission, we have to get to the bottom of these issues, and it's therefore so important the Commission hears from the lived experience of Jewish Australians, it makes recommendations, but it also holds people to account, and that's why it needs more time, because it needs to hold people to account. That's why Tim and I moved a motion this morning.

Journalist: Shadow Treasurer, on another matter.

Tim Wilson: Oh, what a shock! On other matters! So, you're not interested in extending the Royal Commission into Antisemitism? The government backflipped on having a Royal Commission at the start of this year. This morning they voted against extending the Royal Commission, and we're hoping that they will backflip on this one so that we can have a way forward. On other matters?

Journalist: On other matters. The NAB saying that rents may have to increase by up to 30% in some cities as landlords try to recoup some of their losses, what's your message to Australian renters?

Tim Wilson: Well, it's really sad to hear this reality. The budget by design said it would increase rents. All the National Australia Bank has done is told the Australian people what the government intends to do: increase rents on Australian households. We've seen an increase in the price of first homes for first home buyers, we're seeing falling prices and confidence in the rest of the market, and what we have is a disaster across the board for Australians wanting to house themselves. The tragedy is this was all by design. The government knew when it introduced its new taxes it would punish renters and increase the price of rents, and now we're seeing it lived through the extra financial pain Australians are experiencing.

Journalist: Isn't it unfair though to lay all the blame on the budget? There are other factors, inflation, there's uncertainty in the Middle East, plus interest rates rising, so to blame it all on the budget doesn't seem fair.

Tim Wilson: Well, we know full well that prices have increased for first homes since the budget has been in place, and we know that a lot of the adjustments being made by landlords around prices has come as a consequence of the budget. But you're right, the government has an active inflation agenda. The government is focused on how they're increasing prices at the supermarket and increasing the prices of interest rates. This is the broken nature of the Albanese economic model. They have an active inflation agenda where they stoke inflation, tax the inflation, then spend the inflation, and that's why you're absolutely seeing rises in rents and rises of prices at the supermarket.

Journalist: Mr Wilson, did the Coalition seek any further amendments to the NDIS bill apart from closing the so-called widows loophole.

Tim Wilson: I'm afraid that's a question you'll have to speak to the Leader and to the Shadow Minister, Melissa McIntosh, who's doing an outstanding job in this area. We're obviously focused on the rising rents Australians are paying and the complete collapse in confidence in Australia's housing market, as well as of course the Royal Commission and making sure that the victims of Antisemitism and the perpetrators of Antisemitism are properly held to account.

Journalist: That loophole is something that you called wasn't it? Why did you choose two seemingly unrelated issues?

Tim Wilson: It's about making sure that we get a focus on delivery for the Australian community. What we know is that the government introduced the widow's tax in their budget. They promised that they would unwind it, and we made it very clear that this was a matter of urgency. The government were playing funny buggers every step of the way on tax changes and their budget, and we wanted to deal with that, and we called them out. We called their bluff, because every time we raised this issue, they tried to find a way to avoid removing the widow's tax. We called them out, and thankfully we now have an agreement to get it done.

Journalist: Just a question to Mr Leeser. With the extension of the Royal Commission, why do you think Labor is opposed to this extension, and are you satisfied so far with the scope that it's currently covered?

Julian Leeser: Labor never wanted the Royal Commission in the first place. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to actually put on this Royal Commission, and they took almost a month to do it. Now the Prime Minister denies that he never wanted a Royal Commission in the first place. So, this is not something that Labor wanted to have in the first place, so the last thing Labor want to do is to extend. We're asking Labor to rise up above the partisan agenda and to realise that we need to get to the bottom of these issues. 15 Australians were murdered in cold blood on our most famous beach. We owe it to their memory to ensure that this Royal Commission leaves no stone unturned and importantly, holds the people to account who have been in positions of leadership over the last few years when Antisemitism has grown and they have failed to act.

Journalist: Are you concerned that the government might try to sweep it under the rug once the finalisation of the Commission is done?

Julian Leeser: Well, it's our job, it's our job as the opposition to hold the government to account on their dealings with Antisemitism, as we have been doing for the last two and a half years.

[ENDS]