Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Bondi Beach is a place where Australians gather to have fun, play in the sea and sand and maybe enjoy a night out. But on December14, 15 innocent people were murdered. Families have been shattered, a community has been traumatised and Jewish Australians are grieving. People—friends and family members—were murdered simply because they were Jewish.

We honour those who were killed. We honour them as Australians—people who belonged here, who were part of this country and whose absence will be deeply felt by their family and their community.

One of those killed was Marika Pogany, an 82-year-old woman, whose nieces Jenny and Andrea live in our local electorate of Cook. Their loss reminds us that this violence isn't distant; it reaches directly into Australian families—into Australian neighbourhoods.

The attack is also a reminder of a hard truth: antisemitism exists in Australia, and it was allowed to go unchecked for far too long. And it's still causing fear. Jewish friends of mine are feeling fear—fear about their safety, fear about their families, fear about dropping off their kids at Jewish schools or Jewish day cares, and fear that a mass murder that should have never happened in Australia could happen again.

I'd also like to acknowledge the passing of Stanley Roth, a Jewish Australian and friend, local to the Bondi area, who this issue mattered deeply to. Stanley's legacy must continue, because no Australian should live in fear of violence because of their religion or who they are.

What happened in Bondi must be a national turning point for our country. We must pivot. We must not allow Australia to import international hatreds or extremism. It can't be imported into our streets or into our Australian neighbourhoods. We must unify as a country. We must find pride in being Australians and the values that we protect—values like the rule of law, equality, tolerance and the rejection of any political violence. Australians' values are not optional. People who reject these values, who hate our country or hate what it stands for, have no place in our society and no place in our country.

Even in the face of violence, Australians showed extraordinary courage. There were people who gave their lives trying to stop or disarm the gunmen. Remember Reuven Morrison trying to throw a rock to disarm the gunman; Boris and Sofia Gurman, who we watched on that grainy dash cam footage disarming a gunman and then giving up their lives, being shot while stepping in to protect strangers because that's the Australian way; and Ahmed al-Ahmed, who owned a local tobacconist in the Sutherland shire and disarmed a gunman, saving countless lives, and was shot doing so.

Bondi and Cronulla share much in common. They're relaxed beachside communities shaped by everyday Australian life. They're open. They're inclusive and built around communities that look out for one another. They celebrate the tradition of surf lifesaving, which reflects our Australian culture of service and self-sacrifice. This is the Australia we must protect.

This is not a time for division or equivocation. It's time for Australians to unite—unite for who we are—and unify around a simple truth: Australia is a place of equality. International conflicts are not imported. Violence is never justified. Faith is protected and not feared.

To the families who are grieving: Australia stands with you. To those living with fear today: let me remind you you belong here. We will stand up and make sure you are protected. And to this nation: let this be a turning point where we choose unity over division, courage over silence and our shared values over hatred. The Australian parliament must stand up. It must act and take action so these events can never happen here again and so that we do everything in our power to make sure this never occurs again on Australian shores.

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