Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

Fifteen Australians massacred in 10 minutes of terror—15 Australians executed, 15 Australians given the death sentence for being in a park and on the street in a beautiful, once peaceful part of our country. Others are carrying injuries and scars for life. My condolences to the victims' families, friends, workmates and colleagues. Nothing I can say will adequately articulate your grief, fear, devastation, shock and desperation—your search for understanding, for clarity in putting your lives back together, for addressing the hole in your heart and mind, for meaning, for making sense of it all. It's difficult to make sense of something senseless that's the result of inhuman ideology, Islamic ideology, which is the number one killer of Muslims worldwide, a rampant killer of Christians and of Jewish people and the driving force behind indiscriminate killing of non-adherents worldwide.

Before 14 December 2025 we thought this may happen close to us—in Bali's two bombings, when 92 Australians died—yet surely not on our shores. How can you make sense of it all when so many people won't name the force, Islam, that brutally murdered your loved ones? Yet before embarking on that search, I acknowledge 27 million Australians who had our collective perception of Australian security ripped away, tearing at the heart and fabric of our nation, security, culture and identity—our democracy, our unity. My condolences to all Australians whom this tragedy touches. Honouring the Bondi victims is not with words alone; above all it's done with action—honest, genuine, meaningful actions. This is an opportunity to unite Australians whom this tragedy touches and to unite them with a unity based in truth.

Another preliminary to action is to acknowledge that life is precious. From conception to death, life is precious. This is the first of our universal God-given freedoms, the freedom of life, our freedom to live. Without freedom to live there can be no freedom of speech, no freedom of thought, no creativity, no freedom of belief and no freedom of assembly, association, initiative or movement. In other words, in another preliminary to action we must acknowledge that freedom to live is essential. In another preliminary to action we must acknowledge that in our actions honesty is vital. Regarding the Bondi massacre, honesty starts with responsibility, because parliament has failed to hold government sufficiently accountable to spur the government to take action that would have or likely could have avoided the massacre. As a senator in federal parliament could I have done more to hold the government accountable—I asked myself that—to spur the government to confront Islam's beachhead in our country? For those upset with my comments, I quote from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins:

Something you can convert to is not a race. A statement of simple fact is not bigotry.

Truth is important. Responsibility is a key to leadership that needs to be provided for all Australians and especially for families of the murdered. A true leader takes responsibility for failures like the failures and lapses leading to Bondi, rapidly investigates using a genuine royal commission with terms of reference that ensure truth is established and then, based on data and facts unearthed, leads changes in governance, all to protect people, not to punish or control people, apart from those responsible for lapses in doing their duty—only to protect people. I know two quotes from everyday Australians on my social media posts:

Social cohesion doesn't occur under social coercion.

…

Anyone who wants to ban free speech has a lot to hide.

A real leader doesn't weaken the people he or she leads; they strengthen people. A real leader doesn't take resources from his political opponents; they strengthen their opponents, because stronger opponents strengthen governments—governments that care. A real leader calls an inquiry with adequate power to get to the root causes and to then recommend answers. All this, with a clarity of understanding, leads to prevention of future recurrence.

I divert briefly from Bondi to Australia's largest domestic mass murder, the Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 people in beautiful Tasmania on 28 April 1996, because there's at least one important lesson there. Then prime minister John Howard illegally cancelled the request for an inquiry into the 35 deaths—an action that failed and betrayed the victims and their families. It betrayed every Australian. Had the lessons of Port Arthur been explored through a royal commission or through a proper inquest, we may not be where we are today. Our obligation lies not only to those Australians in mourning for what this country has lost in the last month but also to those Australians yet to be born. It may take many years for the circumstances of Bondi to recur, yet they will recur unless action is taken now.

Prime ministers are elected in a vote of the party caucus. Leaders, though, are not appointed; they are self-emergent as a result of their successful, sincere and honest handling of challenges and incidents that affect the people they supposedly lead. On Sunday 21 December at Bondi's 'Light over darkness' vigil at the memorial to terrorist attack victims, the current Prime Minister was loudly and emphatically booed. That booing reverberated across Australia. It was an emblematic verdict from the people on the Prime Minister's performance in response to Bondi because, in Bondi's aftermath, our country has not seen leadership. Once the absence of leadership became obvious and open, the government tried to rehabilitate a tarnished image with branding. Branding, though, is not leadership. It is dangerous because it's a vacuum. The best way to honour the Bondi massacre victims is to respect them, to be honest, to be open and to enable a fair dinkum royal commission to get the data and facts truthfully, and then, based on the data and facts, to change systems and adjust leadership behaviours.

Why have there been no prosecutions under Commonwealth hate crimes legislation that Labor introduced in 2010 and 2025? If the place of worship of the radicals that committed this offence could be closed under existing powers straight after the offence, why can't others? If they can deport tennis players and Nazis under existing laws, why have they not deported Islamic hate preachers?

As a way of honouring the Bondi victims, I pledge to fulfil my role as a senator and as a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia. I will fulfil my role under our Westminster system of government to ensure that Australians can again feel safe and secure and to hold government—regardless of who's in power—accountable in its primary role of ensuring every Australian's security and safety. We must do more to end Islamic extremism, the world's large perpetrator of terrorism. The most appropriate way to honour the Bondi victims is to end Islamic extremism and terrorism in Australia. The Bondi victims, at the very least, deserve honest leadership—leadership that takes responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of all of their, and our, fellow Australians.

I will now convey some condolence remarks from Senator Pauline Hanson. I'm proud to be able to deliver them for Pauline. She says:

Due to my suspension from this chamber my colleague Senator Malcolm Roberts has kindly agreed to deliver my Bondi condolence speech.

On December 14th 2025, just 10 days out from celebrating Christmas our nation was struck the cruellest blow with the terrorist attack at Bondi beach that claimed the lives of 15 innocent Australians.

Many more faced hospitalisation from injuries they incurred but countless more will carry scars for the rest of their lives from the horrors they witnessed on that fateful day.

To all of those who lost family, loved ones, or a dear close friend never forget your fellow Australians, including myself, share your grief.

Our heart goes out to you, your loss is our loss, your hurt and pain is our hurt and pain.

Your fellow Australians and many throughout the world share your grief and pain, you are not alone.

Matilda was the youngest to lose her life, a beautiful young girl only 10 years of age.

Why? What could she have possibly done to warrant her life being cut short at such a young age?

Nothing! She was celebrating the Jewish festival Hanukkah with family, held at the iconic setting, Bondi beach.

Thousands of Australians attended as they do every year, only this Hanukkah ended in a massacre.

The carnage Australians witnessed as it was happening on their devices, left most of us stunned, disbelieving and in horror that this could possibly be happening in our country.

The hate and evil delivered on that day must be stamped out.

I question myself constantly what has happened to our country when two men, father and son, are seen to be deliberately firing rifles with precision and determination to kill or maim as many people as they can.

The heroic actions of Ahmed Al-Ahmed in wrestling the gun from one of the men while he was firing at people, has been praised for his bravery, from all around the world.

Also the heroic actions of the couple Boris and Sofia Gurman who saw a man taking the rifle out of his car, tried to take it from him, but tragically lost their precious lives.

There were countless heroes, including the amazing first responders, on that tragic day—

I pause here to convey Pauline's deep appreciation, respect and admiration for the first responders who actually ran towards the firing—

many trying to help and protect the young and not so young.

Australians selfless to their own safety only to put themselves in danger to save others—

Pauline says thankyou—

This is a tragedy, a scar that will be in our history books for eternity.

Mistakes have been made, but lessons must be learnt. We cannot just move on and thank our lucky stars that it was not one of us or one of our loved ones.

History repeats itself, don't let the death of 15 innocent Australians and the suffering of many more be swept under the carpet and forgotten.

We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful country, that many from around the world look on in envy.

This tragedy has been a wake-up call for a lot of people. Never take your freedom, peace or harmony for granted, there are those wanting to spill their hate or evil, if we let them.

Our current and previous governments have a lot to answer for, but that is for another day.

I and my One Nation colleagues will continue to fight for your right to freedom and safety not only for you but for future generations.

A country you can be proud to live in and call home.

My deepest condolences. Senator Pauline Hanson.