Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I was on leave during the last sitting of the Senate and was unable to participate in the condolence debate on the horrific terror attack at Bondi. I wish to place my remarks on the record now.

The attack at Bondi on 14 December was a moment that we feared yet hoped would never occur. It was a terrorist attack motivated by Islamic extremism with the intention of causing as much death and destruction of Sydney's Jewish community as possible. In its wake, 15 Australians were cut down by bullets as they attended a Hanukkah gathering or were simply enjoying a wonderful part of our world. While the terrorists sought to kill as many Jewish Australians as they could, the attack sent shockwaves through all of Australia and in fact around the world. Yet, in the worst of times, we saw the best of Australians. The countless examples of heroism from ordinary, everyday people on the street and on the beach reminded us of the Australian spirit. It reminded us that we are not a nation bound by race, religion, ideology or any other particular personal feature but a nation united behind the values of Australia and what makes our country so special: multicultural Australia.

First it was Boris and Sofia Gurman, Russian Australian Jews, who, upon seeing the flag of the so-called Islamic State in a parked car, wrestled with the gunman's weapon. While we will never know, there could have been only one thing on their minds: to save their fellow Australians. Then it was the heroism of Ahmed Al Ahmed, a Syrian Australian, who, with complete disregard for his own safety, snuck up behind the gunman, wrestled his firearm away and turned it back on the terrorist. His bravery was extraordinary and an example of the Australian spirit. There was Gefen Bitton, who, after seeing Ahmed Al Ahmed confront the gunman, left his safe hiding place to lend him a hand. There was Reuven Morrison, who ran towards the gunman and tried to bring him down with a brick. He defied any sense of self-preservation and made the ultimate sacrifice with his own life.

There were the volunteer lifesavers from the Bondi and North Bondi surf lifesaving clubs, who rushed to the aid of the fallen at significant risk to themselves. Then it was the fearless officers of the NSW Police Force, who marched to the sound of gunfire, faced the danger and brought down the terrorists. They were shot at, both their persons and their vehicles. Make no mistake—the police officers that attended that day are heroes. And it was the paramedics of the NSW Ambulance service who provided life-saving care to so many victims. They saved countless lives and livelihoods.

There were so many stories of heroism and good from that terrible day. Sadly, 15 Australians—15 people—were murdered in cold blood: Edith Brutman, Dan Elkayam, Boris Gurman, Sofia Gurman, Alex Kleytman, Yaakov Levitan, Peter Meagher, Reuven Morrison, Marika Pogany, Eli Schlanger, Adam Smyth, Boris Tetleroyd, Tania Tretiak, Tibor Weitzen and Matilda.

It is our most solemn of obligations to protect Australia. That is why we are here. We can never put another community at risk like we saw in Bondi again. There can be no legitimacy around problems that occur overseas and bringing those problems here—none. There can be no moral equivocation—none. We must hold extremists to account, no matter who they are or where they come from, whether their weapon is a bomb, a bullet or the dangerous words that come out of their mouths. They must face scrutiny, they must face the law and they must face consequences. That is our duty and our obligation.