A Statement from RSL Australia
National President Peter Tinley AM
The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance.
These words have guided the RSL for more than a century. They remind us that freedom must be actively defended – and that this duty extends beyond those in uniform to every institution charged with protecting Australians.
For two decades, our service personnel honoured this compact. They deployed to confront terrorism abroad so it would not reach home. Families sacrificed. Some paid the ultimate price.
The nation asked, and they answered.
The Bondi Beach attack forces a hard question: has that vigilance been maintained?
ASIO cleared one attacker as "no ongoing threat" in 2019. The firearms license for six weapons in that household was issued in 2023. Both men travelled to Mindanao weeks before the massacre a known Islamic State hotspot – and returned without intervention.
The failures are systemic, spanning governments and agencies. Veterans who defend democracy and fight for liberty want to know why the systems we trusted to protect Australians at home repeatedly failed to connect obvious dots.
RSL Australia calls for leadership courageous enough to examine all contributing factors – not token changes, not political spin, but decisive steps that keep Australians safe. That means establishing a Royal Commission to independently investigate into how these failures occurred and what must change.
Our Jewish community members, many of whom are veterans, deserve to know their nation is serious about protecting them. Our serving personnel deserve to know their sacrifices serve coherent purpose.
The freedoms so many fought for must be protected at home as well as abroad. That has always been Australia's compact – and it must be honoured by all who share in this nation.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. That price must be paid by all of us.
If these events are affecting you, reach out. Open Arms: 1800 011 046