Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to add my support and the support of the Australian Greens for the condolence motion for the families and the loved ones of the 15 innocent people murdered at Bondi Beach on 14 December. The shock of this attack loomed large in my heart over the summer break, as I'm sure it did for many Australians. What made this brutal attack all the more devastating and confronting is that we're not a country defined by gun violence or terror. As we gathered with family over the holidays, we have all been thinking of those in the Jewish community who are mourning, missing family and friends at their table, reliving the nightmare of what happened at Bondi and slowly beginning the tough road to recovery. I express my deepest sorrow for everyone affected and for all that you have lost.

The Bondi killers took the lives of young and old—including beautiful 10-year-old Matilda—of men and women, of locals and visitors. They cut short the lives of people with different jobs and different experiences. But the killings were unambiguously targeted at the Jewish community gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. What was meant to be a joyous celebration became one of the darkest days in our history.

This reprehensible act of antisemitic violence is not who we are. Australia is a multicultural nation that is stronger because of our diversity, not in spite of it. No-one in Australia should fear practising their religion or culture. No-one should be persecuted for having a different religion or for not being religious at all. Every Australian should have the right to live, work, worship and learn in peace and safety. But we cannot ignore that fear and hate have been allowed to fester in our communities and to spill over into tragedy. I'll speak more about how we address that shortly.

First, I honour the courage of first responders and the heroes of Bondi who risked their lives to keep people safe, and the healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to save the lives of those injured. More people undoubtedly would have been killed if it weren't for those who intervened. Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Syrian Australian shop owner, was seriously injured while wrestling a gun from one of the attackers. Reuven Morrison hurled objects at the same attacker after Ahmed disarmed him. Reuven was killed while attempting to stop the killer. Natasha Willemsen shielded Matilda's beloved sister, Summer, after Matilda was shot, preventing her family from losing both of their beautiful daughters. Boris and Sofia Gurman grappled with one of the attackers and wrestled one gun away before he took another from the car and killed them. Their lives were taken fighting to protect others. Chaya, only 14 years old, was shot in the leg while shielding two young children. Twenty-two-year-old police officer Jack Hibbert, who was just four months into the job, was shot in the head and the shoulder but continued to help festival attendees. Jack will survive but with life-changing injuries.

So many lives were lost and irrevocably changed on 14 December by an act of hate. But there are so many stories of bravery, kindness, compassion and care to counter that hate. This is what we must hold onto. The heinous acts of two men cannot be allowed to become a catalyst for more hate and division. We must collectively act against all forms of hate and intolerance, whether it's directed at a Jewish man for his kippah, a queer person for who they love or a Muslim woman for wearing a hijab, whether it's attacking a new migrant making a life in our country or a trans person for expressing their gender identity. We have seen the dangers of racial vilification and dog whistling that leads to violence. We've seen the dangers of radicalisation and the consequences of failing to stamp out the conditions that allow it to flourish. This hatred led to the murders at Bondi. It drove the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the recent attacks at Camp Sovereignty. Weak gun laws only added fuel to the fire.

The Greens have long called for stronger gun controls, and we will work with the government to establish a new national gun buyback and progress the firearms registry. I urge all states to contribute to the buyback scheme. We will continue to work in all state and territory parliaments to limit the number of guns, strengthen character checks, restrict access to high-powered rifles and prohibit rapid-fire guns. Getting guns off the street is one clear action to help prevent a future tragedy like Bondi. But any hate laws must be measured and inclusive. Everyone deserves to be respected and safe from discrimination, hatred and violence. As a society, we cannot let this continue. Combating hate is the responsibility of everyone in this place.

In my time in parliament, I've had to deliver more condolence speeches than I would like—condolences for the victims of racist attacks and of homophobic attacks, condolences for the victims of domestic, sexual and family violence, condolences for First Nations men, women and kids dying in custody, and condolences for people that our system has failed. We cannot just keep being sorry. We need action to break the cycle. Hate is the disease, violence is the symptom and hope, connection, compassion and action must be the cure.

Gun violence is not who we are. Antisemitism is not who we are. Demonising migrants is not who we are. We are lucky to have such diverse communities with rich cultural, linguistic and spiritual traditions. But those communities also face systemic racism and discrimination. Those on the opposite side of the political spectrum continue to ramp up their attacks on migrants and already marginalised communities. We cannot let them divide us. We cannot allow those on the far right to demonise migrants and to use them to distract from their own failings. The reality is it is inequality and not immigration we should be angry about. Increased financial pressures, lack of affordable housing, persistent racist attitudes from our politicians and media, algorithms and online echo chambers fanning the flames of rage and hate, and of course the climate crisis that we cannot continue to ignore—these are the issues driving the displacement this generation feels. It is our job to fix these issues, not to find a scapegoat for them.

Our response to the Bondi massacre must not select those to protect and leave others behind, and we need to bring the community along. To end hate we must also eradicate poverty and ensure everyone has a roof over their head, access to top-quality public healthcare and education, and freedom to express political and religious views. We must take every opportunity to build community and to learn about, and from, each other. These are the ways we build social cohesion and reduce hate, reduce discrimination and reduce blame. We fix the system. Rushed laws won't achieve that.

Standing against hate requires us to all to call out any violence and discrimination wherever it is. We cannot watch violence, human rights abuses or genocide and do nothing just because it's happening elsewhere. Whether it's in Sudan, Iran, Palestine or the US, we must protect our right to political expression and to peaceful protest. Criticism of Israel's actions, just like those of Russia, China or Australia, should not be criminalised, because political expression and peaceful protest are things to be proud of. They're at risk in other countries and we cannot let community voices be silenced here. And we simply cannot criminalise our way out of hate.

Combating hate and all forms of racism requires a genuine commitment to grassroots community led change. The Greens unequivocally support the National Anti-Racism Framework, a blueprint for an antiracist society that protects all marginalised groups. It must be fully funded and implemented to work. The tragic murders of loved ones at Bondi strengthens our resolve for a comprehensive response to antisemitism and racism, and our commitment to stand against hatred and division and to fight for a future where all people are safe and free. We cannot claim to be safe, free or equal unless we address antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and discrimination in all its forms, and allow the legitimate political protest that a free country enjoys.

I send my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the Bondi massacre. Our thoughts are with you now as you continue to grieve and heal. Let this awful and heartbreaking event on our soil be the catalyst for us to find our better selves and care for each other and celebrate our differences. Vale to those 15 cherished, innocent people.