Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to add my voice to the messages of condolence for the victims of the antisemitic terror attack we saw in Bondi on 14 December. The community of Eden-Monaro stands with you and will continue to stand with those whose lives were irrevocably changed on that day. No-one should have to endure what happened on that day. There is no place in our country for this kind of hatred, bigotry or extremism that led to these events at Bondi Beach, and my heart breaks for the 15 innocent people who lost their lives that day and for their families, their friends and their communities, who will never stop mourning them.

I offer my sincere condolences to the families of Matilda; Boris and Sofia Gurman; Rabbi Eli Schlanger; Edith Brutman; Boris Tetleroyd; Adam Smyth; Marika Pogany; Peter Meagher; Dan Elkayam; Tibor Weitzen; Reuven Morrison; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan; Alexander Kleytman; and Tania Tretiak. Their absence is felt deeply, and we will not forget them. That day, they should have been safe. They should have been celebrating their faith together by the water, enjoying the start of Hanukkah, a holy day on the Jewish calendar, the beginning of an eight-day celebration representing resilience, light and positivity—an ancient tradition in an Australian iconic setting. It should have been a peaceful event, and instead that peace was shattered.

This was an attack on our Jewish community and on the Australian way of life. It was an attack on our people and what we hold sacred: our right to gather to celebrate our faith with loved ones wherever we are. In the days following the Bondi attack, I was proud to play a small role, as Minister for Emergency Management, in delivering support to assist victims, their families and small businesses who were impacted on that day. It was the first time that our disaster recovery funding arrangements were activated for a terrorist attack, and I hope it will be the last.

But now we must take action when something this abhorrent occurs on our shores, and I urge all parliamentarians to come together to take that action: to shut down hate preachers, to tighten our visa laws and to do whatever we must so that antisemitism and hate don't fester in our communities—practical support, changes in our laws and enacting reviews that help us understand what happened in our beautiful country. We must learn from this, and we must do better. We can't allow hate and division to permeate our community, and it is up to each of us to call it out when we see it, in person or online, in workplaces, in schools and in our communities. I believe social media and tech giants have a lot to answer for in this space.

I want to acknowledge the first responders who attended Bondi that day. They ran into a situation that many have been trained for but should never have to endure, because on that day they were also met with violence. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert and Constable Scott Dyson were both injured in the line of duty. Of course, they aren't the only ones who will bear the scars from what occurred on 14 December. Forty people were injured that day, many while carrying out incredible acts of bravery—people like Ahmed al-Ahmed, who was just nearby having a coffee and ran towards the danger, and local lifeguards, students and ordinary Australians who ran into the park to help people. They helped stop the bleeding, they helped protect young ones from the attack and they undoubtedly saved lives, and it's these stories that show who we really are as a nation—the caring and compassionate ones, the people who are always ready to lend a hand to someone in need.

We must now come together as a nation, because we cannot let this evil tarnish our country and our iconic Bondi Beach. Today we remember and we grieve together. Although I cannot imagine the grief felt by our Australian Jewish community, I say to them: you don't carry this alone. This parliament stands with you and this nation stands with you, and we will stand with you into the future.

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