Here is what we know about the report so far:
Key findings
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The report found New Zealand’s security agencies were “almost exclusively” focused on the threat from Islamist terrorism, and the police had failed to enforce proper checks on firearm licenses. The royal commission findings said that despite the shortcomings, there were no failings within government agencies that would have alerted them to the imminent attack by the white supremacist, who was sentenced to life without parole in August.
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Secrecy about counter-terrorism approaches by successive governments had consequences, the report said: “One reason for this was to avoid stigmatising Muslims. But had such a strategy been shared with the public and also incorporated a ‘see something, say something policy’, it is possible that aspects of the individual’s planning may … have been reported.”
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Other factors involved in failure to detect the attack included: the terrorist’s “operational security”; the laws the security agencies work with; and the limited capability and capacity of the agencies.
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The report found the gunman was treated in hospital months before the attack after accidentally shooting himself, leaving fragments in one eye and leg. Medical staff did not report the wounds to police, because there was no mandatory legislation requiring it.
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The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, apologised for “failings” by the security and intelligence agencies and within the firearms licensing system but said they could not have prevented the attack.
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The royal commission noted the attack “was driven by an extreme right-wing Islamophobic ideology. Its purpose was to promote chaos and disharmony in New Zealand.”
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The report said “this purpose failed”, and “in the days, weeks and months that followed, New Zealanders united around those affected and spoke out against racism, extremism and extremist violence”. The report added: “There was a period of national reflection about our shared values, our collective lives and what it means to live in New Zealand.”
Key recommendations
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New security and intelligence agency, as well as a new counter-terrorism minister, strategy and funding for research into NZ-specific extremism.
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New anti-terror and hate-speech laws, as well as social cohesion measures and workplace diversity for the public sector.
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Andrew Little has been appointed the minister to implement the inquiry’s recommendations. Revealing the role on Monday, Ardern said: “The [Muslim] community will want to see accountability in terms of the implementation. They will want to know who is responsible for coordinating some of those efforts and we will be providing that.”
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Ardern announced the establishment of a ministry of ethnic communities; improvements to the police’s ability to identify and manage hate crime and deliver a service that is more responsive to victims; improved research into extremism; and creating an early intervention programme to support people showing early signs of radicalisation.
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