Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to extend the heartfelt condolences of my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales to all of those impacted by the horrific Bondi Beach terrorist attack. On the first night of Hanukkah, on what should have been an evening of peace, celebration and joy for the Jewish community, unimaginable violence took place. Fifteen innocent people were killed, and more than 40 others were injured. It was an antisemitic attack, deliberately targeting Jewish Australians.

Today, we honour each of the 15 lives lost. Fifteen innocent people were taken from their families, from their communities. We honour the bravery of those who ran towards danger—people like Boris and Sofia Gurman, who confronted a gunman and were killed while trying to protect others. We recognise the NSW Police officers who risked their lives, including those who suffered critical injuries running towards danger to protect others. And we acknowledge other first responders, some of whom are here today and whom I had the chance to meet, including paramedics, mental health workers, surf lifesavers and lifeguards who supported people in the immediate aftermath of the violence and in the days and weeks that have followed. We stand with the families that now face grief no-one should ever have to bear. We stand with survivors healing physically and emotionally, and we stand with Australia's Jewish community, whose sense of safety was profoundly shaken that night—who came to Australia as a safe place, a place of refuge, a place that is their home.

We know the deep impact an event like this has on communities, which is why our government has responded with comprehensive mental health support in partnership with the New South Wales government, and I acknowledge the efforts of Minister Rose Jackson. This includes dedicated resources to support the Jewish community, the broader Bondi community, first responders, children and young people. It includes focused mental health supports for the Jewish community through organisations with established links to the communities nationally, such as Jewish Care and Jewish House. On behalf of the government, I thank them for the work that they have done already and will continue to do for mental health.

We've boosted funding for crisis lines—Lifeline, Beyond Blue, eheadspace, Kids Helpline and 13YARN—to uplift their capacity to meet the growing demand in the wake of this tragedy. And to support first responders, including lifeguards, surf lifesavers and other community members who supported people in this attack, we've delivered funding to the Black Dog Institute's National Emergency Worker Support Service. The service provides online mental health assessment and free psychological sessions at the Black Dog Institute's depression clinic or the University of New South Wales's Traumatic Stress Clinic. We're also rapidly establishing a pop-up Medicare mental health centre in Bondi, offering free, walk-in mental health support and care with a specific focus on trauma support, to be opened in the coming weeks. To particularly support young Australians so deeply affected by this attack, we've provided additional funding for headspace, so it can support young people locally and deliver education sessions to schools, staff, students, parents and carers in communities and schools right across the country, including through eheadspace.

Recently, I had the honour of joining Her Excellency the Governor-General at headspace Bondi Junction, where we met with staff and heard from them—staff that have been tirelessly supporting young people impacted by the terror attack. On behalf of the parliament, I had the opportunity to thank them that day for the work they're doing supporting young people in their community. I'd like to take the opportunity today in the parliament to again thank them for the work that they have so generously provided—the care, the support, the compassion, the humanity—since 14 December and for the work that they will be providing in the weeks, months and years to come.

We will not forget the 15 innocent lives that were taken. What we saw on Bondi Beach that night isn't who we are as Australians. I say to the Jewish community in Sydney, in my home on the Central Coast of New South Wales and across Australia: we will always stand with you. I thank the House.

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