Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and Pacific Island Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the condolence motion. One of the saddest aspects of being a member of parliament here is speaking to this awful tragedy at Bondi. If you asked every Australian what the most significant places in Australia are, if their reply was not the MCG or the Opera House, it would be Bondi—everyone has been there. I'll start by putting on my hat as a former police officer. I really want to acknowledge those first responders. There is Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, who was just four months into the job. He was shot in the head and also the shoulder, and lost vision in one eye. Then there is Constable Scott Dyson, who suffered two gunshot wounds. He was put in an induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries. I've been asked, 'Why didn't they just shoot the offenders?' The simple reason, as I've explained to people, is that they have pistols; they were up against terrorists who had been planning this for months, if not years, and who had rifles and far superior weapons. The two constables, in particular, charging up to the offenders—or the terrorists—were simply putting their lives on the line. Again, there is Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza. He is another hero police officer. We saw the footage of him taking a miracle shot. To shoot a revolver with any accuracy over 20 metres is difficult, but he did it over 40 or 50 metres. Then there's the father of two Ahmed al-Ahmed, who disarmed one of the terrorists—and that's what they are; they should be referred to not as 'gunmen' but as 'terrorists'—and was shot five times. They are all community heroes. They all did amazing work.

There are those who should not be forgotten: Edith Brutman, 68, vice president of B'nai B'rith's New South Wales antiprejudice and antidiscrimination committee; Dan Elkayam, 27, a French national who played for Rockdale Ilinden Football Club and worked in Sydney as an IT analyst; Boris Gurman, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61, two everyday Australians who, amazingly, tried to disarm the terrorists as they arrived and before they went on to their massacre; Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, a rabbi who was secretary of Sydney Beth Din; Peter Meagher, 61, retired police detective and Randwick DRUFC manager, who was hired as a freelance photographer on the day; Reuven Morrison, 62, a businessman who threw rocks or bricks at the gunmen knowing that he most likely wouldn't survive; Eli Schlanger, 41, an assistant rabbi who, as we've heard, assisted those in corrective services; Adam Smyth, 50, a Bondi local taking his wife for a walk; Boris Tetleroyd, 68, a visitor at the Hanukkah event that day; Tania Tretiak, 68, a Randwick resident attending the event with her family; Tibor Weitzen, 78, an engineer who died with his wife, Edith Brutman; Marika Pogany, 82, a volunteer who delivered meals and services to Jewish seniors; Alex Kleytman, 87, a Holocaust survivor; and, as we all know, Matilda, the youngest of the victims. As the father of an 11-year-old girl, I say to Matilda's parents I just cannot imagine it. I say this also to her school friends and her young friends. I can't imagine the birthdays. Last year, it would have been all about whose birthday is next and who gets invited; sadly, that won't happen for little Matilda anymore.

I say to the Jewish community we all feel very sorry for you. I acknowledge our members of the Jewish community here, too—the members for Isaacs and Macnamara, and Julian Leeser. It's been a really tough time. I say, finally, something about what I experienced in the former government, when I had the honour of delivering the Safer Communities Fund. One thing which really hit home when I went to a Jewish synagogue or community centre or school was the security measures—the armed guards. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe the stress those from the Jewish community had back then. Now it's to a new level. They deserve everything we can do. We must do everything we can do now to protect our Jewish community. They should be able to walk the streets freely, go to school freely, go to community events freely. Thank you.

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