Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Isaacs for his question and his commitment not just as a member of the Australian parliament but also as someone who is very committed to helping his fellow Jewish Australians. He travelled to Sydney in the hours after this terrible attack on the first night of Hanukkah where 15 Australians were murdered at Bondi Beach. They wounded dozens more—men, women and children. It was an antisemitic terrorist attack aimed at Jewish Australians, inspired by ISIS, the deadliest that has ever occurred on Australian soil. It was also an attack on every single Australian because it was an attack on our way of life, in which the Australian covenant is that, if people have any prejudice or hate, that is left in the customs hall. Here in Australia we respect each other, people of different faiths and backgrounds, and we treat each other properly.

Since the horror of that day, our priority has been to keep Australians safe, to combat antisemitism, extremism and hate, to bring an end to violence, to bring the nation together, to wrap our arms around the Jewish community and to be with them in their profound grief. We've announced a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion so people can tell their stories to inform meaningful action. Today we have passed through this House laws to address both the motivation and the method of the antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi, because the terrorists had hate in their hearts but they also had high-powered rifles in their hands. We're taking action on both—we're tackling antisemitism and hate and we're getting dangerous guns off our streets.

On Thursday, we will come together in a national day of mourning, honouring the victims and all those impacted by the violence at Bondi. The theme that the Chabad community have chosen is 'light will win: a gathering of unity and remembrance'. That is what the local community, led by their spiritual leader Rabbi Ulman—whom I have spoken with again this morning—really want to see: a fitting moment for our grieving nation to come together and reaffirm our commitment that in Australia light triumphs over darkness.

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