Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Today I add my voice to this condolence motion for the 15 people who were murdered in an antisemitic act of terror on 14 December at Bondi Beach. For those of us from the west, our connection to the golden sands of Bondi beach is often shaped by television shows and photographs, with images of rolling surf, glistening pools and endless summer days. While I've never been to Bondi Beach myself, those of us who've grown up on the coast know its sounds and rhythms well: kids laughing as they run into waves, the sound of a sandcastle being knocked flat and the quiet peace of a stroll and dinner by the water as the sun goes down. This place, cared for by traditional owners for tens of thousands of years, reflects something deep in the Australian story—a promise of belonging, of freedom and of shared space that is meant to be safe for everyone. On Sunday 14 December that promise was shattered.

At 6.42 pm, during a Hanukkah celebration, two men brought hate, violence and weapons to a place of joy and community. Fifteen people were murdered and more than 40 physically injured. Countless others witnessed and were traumatised by unimaginable horror. The pain that friends and families feel right now—what they are experiencing—is beyond words. To lose someone that you love in such a senseless and brutal way is a grief that no-one should have to carry. I extend my deepest condolences for those who were killed to their families and their friends and to all those who will live with the physical and emotional injuries for the rest of their lives.

In the darkness of that night, extraordinary courage began to emerge. There were stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. To me, they are simply the best of us—strangers shielding children on a beach, surfers helping people paddle to safety, lifeguards carrying the injured, first responders acting before emergency services arrived, members of the public confronting the gunmen, hospital staff working through the night and people thousands of kilometres away lining up to give blood.

I watched this horrific antisemitic attack unfold on my phone, as so many across our country did, with shock and grief and disbelief. This hatred does not belong here. It does not belong in our streets. It does not belong on our beaches, in our schools or in our places of worship. Violence is never acceptable, especially when it is directed at people because of who they are and what they believe. On that day, the fabric of our community was torn. Trauma and grief affect us all differently. Some feel anger; some are afraid; some are numb; some withdraw. Others build walls. But we cannot allow hatred to decide who we become.

We must refuse the 'us and them' stories that are being seeded to divide us. In the face of hate, we must choose love. In the face of violence, we must choose peace. In the face of fear, we must choose connection. And we must build a community where, regardless of your faith, culture or background, everyone can live freely and safely. As politicians, we have a responsibility to act. We must strengthen laws so that what happened on Sunday 14 December can never happen again. We must do more to counter racism and hatred in all its forms, and we must be shoulder to shoulder with one another in this moment of profound grief.