Coalition's royal commission bid into anti-Semitism a stunt

A parliamentary committee would be divided by partisanship and distracted by politics. The Australian Human Rights Commission is a possibility, but as Senator Henderson claims it "has sat on its hands or worse" on this issue and "Jewish Australians simply do not have faith in an inquiry led by the AHRC". Such perceptions cannot be ignored. They undermine the legitimacy of any such review.

Nor would the Commonwealth Department of Education or the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency suit. Despite their professionalism, they would be seen as being too close to government. Moreover, they lack a royal commission's powers of investigation and experience to conduct such reviews.

So, a royal commission, remains the only alternative - it is the institution of last resort when nothing else will do to investigate this sensitive and politically charged issue that involves human rights, liberties, student safety, the integrity of our universities and perhaps even, Australia's international reputation.