Australia Is Forever Changed, and We Must Be Honest About Why

OPINION

Australia went to bed wounded, and woke up confronting a truth we should never have had to face.

What unfolded at Bondi was not just an act of violence. It was an act of terror. It was an attack on innocent people, on a community gathered in peace, and on the values that bind us together as Australians.

My first thoughts are with the victims, those who lost their lives, those who were injured, and the families whose worlds have been shattered forever. No words can ease that pain. I also extend my deepest respect and gratitude to the police officers, paramedics, doctors, nurses, lifeguards, and everyday Australians who ran towards danger without hesitation.

Among the horror, there was extraordinary courage. Ahmed al Ahmed, a local fruit shop owner, did not run from danger. He ran toward it. With no thought for his own safety, he tackled an armed attacker from behind, wrestled the weapon from his hands, and helped stop further bloodshed. In doing so, it has been reported by the media that Ahmed was shot twice and required surgery, yet his actions likely saved countless lives.

His bravery reminds us of something fundamental about Australia: that decency, courage, and moral clarity still rise in our darkest moments.

Australia is grieving. Australia is angry. And Australia has every right to be.

This attack occurred as members of the Jewish community gathered to celebrate Chanukah by the Sea. What should have been a moment of light, faith, and joy was transformed into horror. We stand with Australia’s Jewish community today and always. Antisemitism has no place in this country. It never has, and it never will.

But we must also confront an uncomfortable truth. This tragedy was not unimaginable. For many Australians of Jewish faith, it was feared.

Since 7 October 2023, antisemitism has surged across Australia. We have seen hateful protests, intimidation outside synagogues, Jewish schools requiring security to function, and vile slogans shouted openly in our streets. Before the shameful scenes on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in October 2023, many Australians would have said such hatred could never take root here. That complacency was a mistake.

The warnings were there. They were repeated. They were ignored.

Leaders of the Jewish community sounded the alarm. International allies sounded the alarm. Even foreign heads of government warned that failing to confront antisemitism early would only embolden it. Yet the Albanese Government responded with hesitation, equivocation, and silence when moral clarity was required.

Hatred does not disappear when it is tolerated. It grows.

Australia is a successful multicultural nation because we share a social contract. We welcome people from all backgrounds, faiths, and cultures, but we ask something in return. We ask that people respect our laws, our freedoms, and one another. We ask that grievances from overseas are not imported and weaponised on Australian streets. We ask that loyalty lies with Australia, not with extremist ideologies or foreign conflicts.

The vast majority of migrants honour that contract. They work hard, integrate, contribute, and enrich our country. They are valued members of Team Australia.

But it is no longer honest to pretend that our immigration system is immune from failure.

Under Labor, immigration has surged to levels that are unsustainable. More than 1.2 million people arrived in Labor’s first term alone, with two million expected by the end of the second. Housing is stretched. Hospitals are under strain. Schools are full. Infrastructure is lagging. These pressures affect Australians of every background.

A sustainable immigration program is not defined by volume, but by the values and social cohesion it preserves.

A successful immigration program does not just count numbers. It enforces standards. It ensures that those who come here accept equality between men and women, freedom of belief, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. It does not turn a blind eye to extremism, radicalisation, or imported hatred out of fear of political backlash.

What we have seen in recent times is a failure to uphold those standards. We have seen people who reject Australian values, glorify violence, and openly express hatred toward Jewish Australians. That should never have been allowed to take root here.

Raising these concerns does not make someone racist or anti-migrant. It makes them honest.

Australians are generous people. But generosity without boundaries is not compassion; it is negligence. A government that refuses to police its immigration system properly, or confront antisemitism decisively, is not being inclusive. It is failing in its most basic duty, which is to keep Australians safe.

This attack has forever changed our nation. We cannot undo what has been done, but we can decide what happens next.

We must strengthen laws against hate crimes. We must enforce existing laws without fear or favour. We must ensure migration settings serve Australia’s interests, not ideology. And we must say, clearly and without apology, that antisemitism, terrorism, and extremist hatred will be met with the full force of the law.

Australia deserves leadership that is honest, courageous, and prepared to act early, not issue statements after lives are lost.

Today we mourn. Tomorrow we must act.

For the victims. For their families. For our Jewish community. And for the future of a nation that should never have allowed this to happen on its shores.

ENDS

Contact

Amanda Wright | Media & Communications Adviser
P | 07 4944 0662   M | 0455 456 705   E | Amanda.Wright@aph.gov.au