Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, New South Wales Labor Premier Chris Minns has said sorry to the Jewish community for his handling of the antisemitism crisis that led to the murder of 15 people at Bondi. The Jewish community wants to hear their Prime Minister say sorry. For the third time: why won't you say sorry too?

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

I repeat that I am sorry that this occurred, and that it occurred on my watch as prime minister. It's something I have said consistently—privately, publicly. I said it in my first answer as well.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

But what I won't do—

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, order! The Leader of the Opposition! I am asking all members—I'm pleading with all members—to show restraint and respect to the people in the gallery and to the hundreds of thousands of people who are watching this. Our words really matter. I'm asking all the parliament to come together so that we can hear the Prime Minister.

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

Let me just say this: when Port Arthur happened, the parliament came together. No-one saw that as a political opportunity; Kim Beazley gave every support. As the Leader of the Opposition indicated to me on the Sunday evening of 14 December, every support would be given to the government.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you sorry you didn't call for a royal commission?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order.

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

When the Lindt Cafe siege happened, not a single dollar went to any of those victims from the Commonwealth government. We provided, though, every support to what was the then Abbott government at that time. When the Bali bombings occurred, people didn't see that as an opportunity for politics; people saw that as the need for the national interest to be put first.

I am devastated, as all Australians are, at what has occurred. The fact that I was Prime Minister while it occurred I have acknowledged repeatedly. That is a source of sadness, and I'm sad that every government has not done better on antisemitism—including mine. What I won't say, though, is that antisemitism began when my government was elected, because that is just absurd.

Opposition members interjecting—

What I won't do—

October 7 did happen and there hasn't yet been an independent review of those events of October 7 in Israel, because they have been getting on with the response. We responded: when October 7 happened, we came together in this parliament and passed a resolution, unanimously, at that time.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, members on my left!

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

I tell you what I won't do: I won't let the terrorists off the hook by pretending that the atrocity that they committed was not the result of their choices and their actions. This was not a random event. This was an antisemitic terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, conducted by father and son—perpetrated in the name of a perverted, murderous version, as they saw it, of Islam. They bought the guns; they fired them into the crowd. They killed 15 innocent people and wounded dozens more, and the idea that they are not responsible for those actions is something that I certainly will not do.