Dreyfus becomes emotional as parliament holds condolence motion for Bondi victims

Federal parliament suspended standing orders as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese moved a condolence motion for the 15 people killed when two gunmen, allegedly inspired by Islamic State, attacked a Hanukah event at Bondi beach on 14 December. Labor MP Josh Burns recalled the fear he felt on learning of the shooting and former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus became visibly emotional during the motion.

Burns told the house his daughter had been about to attend a similar Hanukah in the park festival in Melbourne on the day of the shooting and described how the news prompted the question, "What about my own family? What are they going to do? Are they going to be safe?" He warned that "we must not dehumanise each other, because dehumanisation leads to exactly what happened in Bondi." Dreyfus said the government’s response should not be confined to grief but "must extend to what we choose to defend and how we defend it," and spoke, appearing to fight back tears, of those left behind: "A home left quieter, clothes still hanging in wardrobes, photos on walls that will never be updated..." The condolence motion condemned the atrocity, vowed to eradicate antisemitism, honoured first responders, acknowledged trauma and affirmed the right of Jewish Australians to live in peace and safety.

Key Topics

Politics, Bondi Terror Attack, Bondi Beach, Anthony Albanese, Mark Dreyfus, Josh Burns