On 10 October 2016, Herft wrote a pastoral letter stating that he was standing down as archbishop to "focus my attention on the royal commission's ongoing inquiry into the Diocese of Newcastle". Herft said in the Royal Commission that he had "let down the people of Newcastle" and "let down the survivors in a way that remorse itself is a very poor emotion to express". Former Premier Richard Court, chair of the Perth Diocesan Trustees, said that Herft "enjoyed the full support and respect of the Trustees of the Diocese of Perth". It was also reported that "there was a belief among some of the laity and clergy that should have resigned."