David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the people of the ACT, who I represent in this place, I add my deep condolences for the extraordinary loss and pain caused by the ISIS-inspired terror attack on the Jewish community celebrating Chanukah by the Sea in Bondi. The attack in Bondi targeted the Jewish community, and it hurt all Australians. I join with my parliamentary colleagues and Australians around the country in, again, condemning this act of terror in the strongest possible terms.

For Jewish communities across the country, including here in Canberra, recent months have been marked by fear, anxiety and a sense of vulnerability not felt for generations. Families have questioned whether it is safe to wear visible symbols of their faith. Parents have worried about their children going back to school. Synagogues and community centres have required constant security.

For many Jewish Australians the terrorist attack in Bondi shattered the sense that it couldn't happen here. Something Australians should be reflecting on is that, for most Australians who watched with shock, horror and surprise when this happened, when you talk to many Jewish Australians, they experienced shock and horror but not so much surprise. That is something that we should all reflect on and take steps to both listen and ensure that this can never happen again.

One of the things that has made Australia stand out in the global community is how we have been, until now, fortunate to not have experienced any kind of mass casualty terror attack on our shores. We are largely seen as a peaceful nation and a peaceful people—a free people, a democratic country and a multicultural society that celebrates its diversity and shared values as Australians. For many in the community 14 December challenged that sense of ourselves—that two individuals could inflict such violent and deadly antisemitic hatred on so many innocent people in such a beloved and iconic location as Bondi Beach and take 15 lives and terrorise so many more. This is something we hoped would never happen on our shores, but it did. Without the tremendous courage, bravery and selflessness of so many people at Bondi that night, more lives would have been taken.

On behalf of Canberrans, I too pay tribute to the many, many individuals who showed themselves to be true heroes that night: those who paid with their lives trying to disarm the gunmen; those who were grievously injured; those who ran toward danger rather than away from it; those who used their bodies to shelter others; the lifeguards, paramedics, police and other first responders—people who were on and off duty; people who were just there and put helping others before themselves; the surgeons, doctors, nurses and other medical staff who worked through the night saving lives; the tens of thousands of Australians who turned out in the days following to donate blood; the team at Lifeblood who worked through the night processing record numbers of blood and plasma donations; the Australians who lit a candle in their front window in solidarity; and the Australians who fundraised for victims, who undertook a mitzvah, an act of kindness, who attended vigils, laid flowers and sent messages of love.

At a time of unimaginable pain and suffering for the Jewish community, Australians of all faiths and all backgrounds came together, offering love and support. Here in Canberra, on the Monday after the attack, I saw firsthand people bringing flowers and paying tribute down at the National Jewish Memorial Centre and reaching out to Jewish leaders and community members. The Canberra Interfaith Forum held a Pray for Peace Vigil two days later. The Hindu Council of Australia, the Federation of Indian Associations of ACT and the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre brought the community together for a vigil on the Saturday following the attack and hundreds gathered here in the Great Hall to mourn, marking one week since the atrocity. This solidarity, this love, this coming together was replicated right around the country, and it's those values that must guide us in this place as we navigate the aftermath. All of us belong. All of us deserve safety.

I would like to publicly thank Canberran Jewish community leaders for their openness, counsel and generosity over the last few years, and in the aftermath of the tragic events in Bondi. In particular, I would like to thank Jerry Lissing, Athol Morris, Mike Kelly, Nicole Campbell and many others for taking time to speak and work with me in these difficult times.

We must all protect each other's rights to practice our respective religions, celebrate our diverse cultures and our diverse ancestries, and hold on to our shared values, free from hatred, violence and discrimination. Whether you're wearing a kippah, a hijab, a turban, an Akubra or a possum skin cloak around your shoulders, you should be able to walk down any street in absolute safety.

Our challenge is to do our utmost to make sure that what happened at Bondi never happens again; to use it to build a more inclusive Australia. Our challenge is to work on education; to stop the othering of groups here in Australia; to stop people turning their fear, their anger on fellow Australians when it comes to conflicts and wars in other parts of the world. We need to recognise our shared humanity. We need to recognise that while we may have differences of ancestry and opinions and politics, we have a shared humanity. We are Australians and we are all in this together. As many have said, none of us are safe if we are not all safe.