Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Hansard source

Can I commend all the speakers who have spoken today on this condolence motion. It's been truly heartfelt, and I think that, with the finest of words, we have honoured those who have died under the most heinous terrorist act that this country has ever seen. I still remember Sunday 14 December because, I think like many Australians in the lead-up to Christmas, I was at a family gathering. My father, uncle and aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces and children were all together doing what I think a lot of people were doing on 14 December: leading a celebration, as we knew that Christmas was coming—as holidays were coming—and it was a time to get together. I remember I was on my way back from the airport when the news started coming through as to what was occurring in Bondi. I remember wishing and hoping that it wasn't what it looked like it was: an antisemitic terrorist attack, the worst and deadliest terrorist attack that this country has seen, driven by pure, pure hatred.

And to the families of those who lost their lives, I offer my deepest, deepest condolences. Because, as we've heard, there's a Jewish tradition that you should continue to say the names of those who are deceased, I'm going to do so today, like others have: Matilda, Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Alexander Kleytman, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Tania Tretiak and Tibor Weitzen. May you be comforted from heaven.

As we come together today with this condolence motion, we also must come with a resolve like we've never seen to deal with the hatred that inspired it. We have to make sure that we do everything we possibly can—everything that we humanly can—to deal with antisemitism in this country, because, if what we have seen happen will not redouble our resolve to deal with antisemitism, nothing will, and if we do not deal with it then, as many have said, we change the very nature of our country. We change the very nature of who we are. And none of us—none of us—want to see that dream of our nation eroded by heinous acts such as what happened on 14 December.

As in all tragedies, fortunately, we also see the best in humanity, and the fact that there were people who were willing to run at danger to save other people's lives and were prepared to give up their lives to save others is something we witnessed on that day. We also saw our police do what the police do every day—just show extraordinary acts of bravery—and we saw our volunteers, who once again over this summer have done and will continue to do—as they have over previous summers—the most selfless actions. We saw that again with the surf lifesavers. It is that good, that humanity, that we all need to keep turning to so that we know and understand that the evil that was perpetrated is a small minority—it is a small, small part—of who we are as a nation. That's why, if we come together, we can defeat it.

The world watched with horror what happened on 14 December, and the world continues to watch how we're going to deal with it. That, I think, is incredibly important for all of us also to recognise, because the way we are viewed as a nation—the way we are viewed in how we deal with what occurred—is critical for not only who we are as a nation but how we are viewed as a nation. That's why I appeal to everyone—everyone—to show the leadership that is required to deal with this antisemitism, which, sadly, has grown and grown, especially since October 7.

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