Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to pay my deepest respect to the families of the 15 murdered at Bondi Beach on 14 December in a shocking act of hatred, antisemitism and terrorism. It is important that we are here today as the nation's parliament to pay our respects, to show condolence and to be united in a defeat of division and fear in the name of love and compassion. There are no words, though, that can be said today that truly capture the magnitude of loss and fear that members of the Australian Jewish community have felt ever since this unspeakable attack. Throughout this usually festive season, as I know so many of us in this place today and of course across the country, so often my thoughts have turned to the families who are not able to be celebrating with all of their families at this festive time, constantly being reminded of the devastating loss of their loved ones and the hole that will forever be left in their lives and their hearts.

Like so many Australians, I've been unable to forget that smiling face of 10-year-old Matilda, who was joyfully celebrating Hanukkah with her family and her community just moments before she was gunned down in a cruel act of hatred and antisemitism. I think that face—Matilda's smiling face—represents the innocence that was lost on 14 December. Listening to the interview with her family today was particularly shaking. Fifteen innocent people beloved by family, friends and the wider community went to Bondi that night for a celebration of light but, because of an act of pure evil, they will never return home. We stand with their loved ones at this extremely difficult time and we wrap our arms around you.

The hatred, cruelty and violence that drove this deadly attack will forever mark our country but we cannot let it change us. This is not a moment for political grandstanding or pointscoring. It is a time for deep reflection and sorrow.

Terrorism, extremists and terrorists, seek to divide us. They seek to spread hatred and fear and to drive a wedge through our community. As we deal with the shock, the sadness, the horror of what happened at Bondi, we must look to our shared humanity for the path forward.

At Bondi, we saw the worst of humanity, but we also saw the best of it. We saw acts of extreme bravery and courage. We saw people without even a second thought take on the gunmen, and in doing so put their own lives at risk but save so many others. We saw people using their bodies as shields to protect children from the flying bullets. We saw first responders—ambulance, police, lifeguards—and everyday people run towards the danger and put themselves on the line for others: some friends, some family, some neighbours, some strangers. We saw locals throw open their doors to offer safety to strangers.

In the days and the weeks after the attack, we've seen Australians rally around the Jewish community and those impacted in Bondi, the broader Bondi community as well, which of course has been absolutely shaken to its core. We've seen acts of generosity and solidarity, big and small, and they all matter.

The bravery, the selflessness, the generosity that so many people have shown since this horrific, murderous attack is what we must hold onto. As leaders in this country, we've come here today to firstly express our deepest sympathies and our condolence to the families, to the loved ones and to the Jewish community and the broader Bondi community.

But we have also come here to do our job and to lead. As we grapple with what happened at Bondi, it is our role to overcome those who seek to feed the fear, the hate, the division. It is our job to overcome that evil, to unite our grieving community together in love and compassion.

To those whose hearts have been absolutely, utterly and forever broken, and to those whose sense of safety has been shattered: we see you, we stand with you and we will do our very best to protect you—to offer care, compassion and to protect all in our community.

The horrors of 14 December must be a turning point to unite our country, to overcome the fear and hatred and to reject those who feed upon it, because it is division they are after. The extremists want us divided. The terrorists want us full of hate, full of fear. We must beat them with love, compassion and unity for our community.