- 3 months ago
- #australia
- #anthonyalbanese
- #bondibeach
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland addressed the media following a National Cabinet meeting focused on the Bondi Beach attack. Both said that what happened requires urgent change, as investigations into the incident continue.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also spoke, stressing the need for a deeper and more thorough review. Officials said the discussions centred on accountability, public safety, and preventing similar incidents, with governments agreeing that existing systems must be urgently improved.
#Australia
#AnthonyAlbanese
#BondiBeach
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also spoke, stressing the need for a deeper and more thorough review. Officials said the discussions centred on accountability, public safety, and preventing similar incidents, with governments agreeing that existing systems must be urgently improved.
#Australia
#AnthonyAlbanese
#BondiBeach
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon. Eight days ago terrorists sought to divide our nation. They went to
00:09Bondi Beach to unleash mass murder against members of our Jewish community
00:14and to unleash the forces of hatred and anti-Semitism in our society. Last night
00:22the Jewish community returned to Bondi along with many thousands of other
00:26Australians to show that unity will triumph over division, love will triumph
00:32over hatred and importantly light will triumph over darkness. And that was the
00:39theme of the vigil, light over darkness. Emotions were raw and a lot of people in
00:44the community are hurting and angry and some of that anger was directed towards
00:49me and I understand that. As Prime Minister I feel the weight of responsibility for
00:56an atrocity that happened whilst I'm Prime Minister and I'm sorry for what the
01:01Jewish community and our nation as a whole has experienced. The government will
01:06work every day to protect Jewish Australians, to protect the fundamental
01:11right as Australians that they have to be proud of who they are, to practice their
01:16faith, to educate their children and to engage in Australian society in the fullest
01:22way possible. We're not going to let the ISIS inspired terrorists win, we won't let them
01:28divide our society and we'll get through this together. And today my cabinet has met for the
01:38second time since this incident. As well the National Security Committee met for the ninth time since this
01:48anti-Semitic terror attack. And we went through the legislation and the legislative measures that
01:57the government is considering and that we will now further consult with the
02:02community on to make sure that there's as broad an agreement as possible. We'll also
02:09after that process be consulting across the parliament as well to make sure that this is indeed a time
02:17where we have what is needed, which is urgency and unity, not division and delay. Urgency and unity is what we
02:28need. A summary of the legislative measures that will be considered. Creating an aggravated offence for hate preaching,
02:37advocating violence against protected groups. Increasing penalties for existing offences for hate speech,
02:45advocating violence or property destruction against protected groups. Making hate motivation a factor in
02:53sentencing for Commonwealth crimes with options to limit this to online threat and harassment crimes as
03:02announced to expand to all Commonwealth crimes if required. If required. We want to list prohibited hate
03:12organisations to make it a criminal offence to join, recruit or support an organisation listed by the
03:20Home Affairs Minister and the Attorney General. Racial vilification and promoting racial supremacy offence.
03:28So we're considering drafting options there. We want the power to cancel visas where the Home Affairs Minister
03:37suspects a person has engaged in vilification, hate speech, promoting violence, displaying hate symbols or
03:45associating with a terrorist organisation or prohibited hate group. We're looking at changes to hate symbols offences
03:53as well and also looking at changes to the Customs Act to ban importing extremist material or hate symbols.
04:01In addition to that we had a discussion about gun laws and today the State and Territory Senior Officials Group is meeting.
04:12We want to work through with State and Territory Governments. I know that New South Wales is considering
04:18legislation this week but we want to work through right across the board those changes or proposed changes.
04:28I'll ask the Attorney General and then the Minister for Home Affairs to make some comments and then have
04:33we take questions. Thank you Prime Minister. My condolences to the victims, the families and the friends
04:39and certainly all Australians who have been impacted by this heartbreaking horrific act of terrorism against
04:47Australia's Jewish community. What occurred at Bondi just over a week ago was an act of pure evil.
04:53It was a targeted anti-semitic terrorist attack on the first day of Heineken which should be a joyous
04:59celebration of faith and it was a vicious attack on all Australians and on our Australian way of life.
05:05There is no place for hate violence and terrorism in Australia. For too long there have been extremists
05:13who've operated just within the law crafting rhetoric and participating in actions specifically designed to
05:19operate below the existing criminal threshold and displaying hate symbols under the guise of ignorance.
05:26This is changing. It needs to change urgently and it needs to change with unity.
05:33As the Prime Minister said, Cabinet today agreed to progress a legislative package
05:38that I will lead along with Minister Burke designed to further combat abhorrent hate speech and its consequences.
05:46The package will crack down on those who spread hate, division and radicalisation in our community
05:52and build upon the government's existing hate speech laws.
05:56The legislative package will include the measures outlined by the Prime Minister last week which
06:00we have developed further including an aggravated hate speech offence for preachers and leaders
06:07who promote or threaten violence against protected groups or members of groups, increased penalties
06:13for hate speech offences relating to advocating or threatening force or violence against protected groups
06:20or members of groups and their property, making hate an aggravating factor in sentencing
06:26in terms of a number of commonwealth crimes. There will also be a new series of vilification offence
06:32that criminalises inciting hatred and we will be consulting closely with the Jewish community
06:38and others on the structuring of this offence. In addition to the measures that I've outlined,
06:43we will introduce a new aggravated offence targeting adults who seek to influence and radicalise children.
06:51Anyone advocating to children violence against protected groups or their property
06:55will face tougher penalties. This change is critical. Since 2001 120 people have been convicted
07:04of terrorism offences and 10 were children. However today 17 of the 33 people before our courts are
07:12minors. This unprecedented radicalisation of our youth must stop. We will not allow extremists to groom
07:19and brainwash our children into hate or terrorism. Now these laws are complex and they must withstand scrutiny.
07:28The new bill will be drafted over the coming weeks for introduction in the new year. We have begun
07:34consulting with the Jewish community and will continue to engage them. Importantly this is not a time
07:40for partisanship. Broad support is essential for these critical new offences and strengthened provisions
07:48that this will deliver. And I look forward to working with the Prime Minister, Minister Bourke,
07:53and all of my parliamentary colleagues on making this a reality.
07:59All Australians stand together, horrified and disgusted by the terrorist actions
08:05and crimes that occurred just over a week ago. Every Australian is affected but no Australians more deeply
08:14than the Jewish community of Australia than the Jewish community of Australia and those who were directly
08:18and personally impacted at Bondi. The crime and the bigotry behind the crime was rooted deeply in
08:28antisemitism. The method that was used was made available because someone in suburban Sydney with no possible
08:37practical need had six high-powered firearms. We need to be able to deal with the motivation
08:44and the method. Today there are a number of areas that have been announced by the Prime Minister that fall
08:51directly to me. On the issue of the power to cancel visas. At the moment when I'm cancelling visas and
08:57refusing visas, and I've been doing this actively since I came in, I always have to work it out from the
09:04perspective of does it incite discord in the community. Establishing that somebody has engaged in hate
09:12and vilification on its own is not enough. Now it will be. Somebody who engages and has a history of
09:19engaging in hate speech, in vilification, in displaying hate symbols will of itself be enough to
09:25be able to cancel the visa. The hate symbols offences that were put through in the previous parliament
09:33when the government was acting on hate symbols, on hate crimes and on hate speech have not resulted in
09:39the number of charges that we had hoped. I've raised this some weeks ago with Commissioner Barrett and the
09:47Australian Federal Police came back to me with recommendations that I then forwarded some weeks ago,
09:54only a couple of weeks ago, to the Attorney General. Effectively, we will be making it easier for the
10:01Australian Federal Police to successfully bring charges against those who use and display hate
10:07symbols. We'll also be making changes to the Customs Act so that as well as it being unlawful for them to be
10:14held in Australia, it is easier for them to be intercepted at the border if they're seen there.
10:18And finally, on listing prohibited hate organisations. I've spoken before about my disgust for a very long
10:26time at organisations like Hizbut Tahrir and the Nationalist Socialist Network, otherwise known as the
10:32neo-Nazis. These organisations for a long time have been able to take hate right to the threshold
10:39without using the words violence and escape any further terrorist listing. We will be establishing a new
10:46form of listing for those who do not meet the terrorist organisations of being able to prescribe
10:51organisations. I'm asking my department, as the drafting is done, to check it against previous
10:57behaviour of Hizbut Tahrir and the National Socialist Network. Their behaviour needs to be unacceptable.
11:05Their behaviour needs to be unlawful. Their behaviour needs to be enough that we can prescribe the
11:12organisation and prohibit their activity in Australia.
11:15Thanks very much. We'll start over here. We'll just go.
11:18Commissioner Sir, thank you. Can I ask for your explanation on why you haven't committed to a national
11:22royal commission? Is it too entirely that sometimes it's going to take years or twice for the next election?
11:27Do you want something sooner? What's the reason not to do?
11:30We want urgency and unity, not division and delay. We have commenced already the Richardson Review.
11:37Dennis Richardson met today with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. We want to make sure
11:45that Mr Richardson, who I don't think anyone can argue that there is anyone in this nation who is more
11:53qualified to oversee a review of our national security agencies and network and interrelationship between
12:02Commonwealth and state government than Dennis Richardson. We wanted him as well to have input
12:09into his terms of reference and that is why that work began today. The New South Wales government have
12:16announced a royal commission and the federal government will cooperate fully with that.
12:23But Prime Minister, people like the former Chief Justice, the Jewish community leaders, the opposition,
12:28the civil society leaders, the National Royal Commission would give extra weight, especially considering
12:33this is the biggest loss of life in Australia, the worst terrorist attacking debt. Why are they wrong?
12:39Well, because the Richardson Review will enable action to take place. It will report, as I have said,
12:46before April. That review can feed into any Royal Commission that is established in New South Wales that the
12:53federal government will cooperate with. If you have a look at the terms of reference that were released by
13:03the federal opposition today, if anyone suggests that it is possible that that will report any time this term,
13:13let alone years and years to come. Every Royal Commission has asked for an extension of time.
13:22What we want to do is if there are any holes, any findings, any actions that are required, we want that to occur.
13:31Just picking up on that point, I mean, it's not to take away from the vote into the security agencies,
13:37but there are more from the community that there are other issues at play with, such as like anti-Semitism.
13:43What's your opposition to perhaps doing the vote, having that short, sharp review to get those answers
13:48on an operational level, and then a longer term review to a bit broader issue?
13:52Well, if you have a look at the broader issues that are proposed by the opposition, they are into education,
14:01the arts, culture, migration, the full suite of employment, into the university sector, into
14:11home affairs, into the relationship between the Commonwealth and States and the nature of our
14:17federation. I mean, there are, it goes A to Y in the subsets, and then within that, and then within that,
14:28there are, in some cases, half a dozen subsets within it. It is a referendum into the entire way of,
14:38not a referendum, a review or Royal Commission into the whole functioning of Australia. What we need to do,
14:48what we need to do is to work immediately. That is what the Richardson Review will do. And in addition
14:56to that, it will feed into the inquiry which has been announced in New South Wales. I had a discussion
15:03this morning with Premier Minns. They haven't finalised, of course, their terms of reference,
15:12and we'll continue to have those discussions, but we'll cooperate with that Royal Commission.
15:20The idea that we would have multiple Royal Commissions, as well as a review, running at the same time,
15:26is going to simply delay action, what we've been determined to do, and what the Cabinet has been
15:34doing today. We heard the Head of Director-General of ASIO, as well as the AFP Commissioner, both report
15:43extensively on the investigations that are taking place, on what lessons have been learnt, and where
15:50that is going to. The Richardson Review will do that, and will feed into the New South Wales Royal Commission.
15:59Prime Minister, you've said that you're sorry for the Jewish community's experience. The Foreign Minister
16:05today also said she's sorry for how people experienced her actions when it came to her visit to Israel.
16:13I have no doubt that you're sorry for their experiences, but are you sorry for the mistakes
16:18the government have been doing? We take responsibility for everything that occurs on our watch.
16:29We have taken a range of actions. We are taking further actions, some of which we've announced today.
16:37Prime Minister, obviously as a significant legislation approved by Cabinet today.
16:44Can we expect to be back here sometime in January to make that law, and we'll have to wait for February?
16:50Well, we'll get the laws drafted as soon as possible, but we'll also make sure that we consult
16:57with the community firstly, and that is what these ministers are doing.
17:02Prime Minister, you've called for urgency and unity. Are you confident that there's sufficient bipartisan
17:10support for both the firearms reform and the legislative changes that you're announcing today?
17:15And what's your message to your political firm?
17:18Prime Minister, you've said that this is not a time for partisanship. This is a time for national unity.
17:24This is a time for the country to come together. That's what happens. That's what happens.
17:30When after the Port Arthur massacre, that is what occurred. During COVID,
17:36and myself as the Leader of the Opposition offered support, even where we had amendments,
17:42we said we won't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. We will support what is required.
17:48This is a national interest test, and I think people will make their own judgment
17:53about whether partisanship is being evident at the moment.
17:59Prime Minister, the members of your report has said the National Royal Commission.
18:05Is needed that a New South Wales line just won't go far enough for their role? Is that not your view?
18:10Well, a Royal Commission can give consideration to whatever the terms of reference are,
18:17and the Commonwealth will cooperate with that Royal Commission.
18:20PM, you touched upon the government's report.
18:23Just a couple more, yeah.
18:24In your opening preamble, just wondering what you mean by that,
18:27and are you concerned about the sequence of birth in the New South Wales coalition
18:31over gun reform there as a person to what they have heard nationally?
18:36Well, look, there was support for, to go back to Port Arthur, and I was in this place.
18:46One of the things that happened there was that not just John Howard took action as Prime Minister,
18:53and he deserves credit for that.
18:55So too does Tim Fisher, who was at the time the leader of the National Party,
19:00but so too does Kim Beasley, who offered that bipartisan support.
19:06The parliament came together. That's what Australians wanted to see then,
19:11and it's what Australians want to see now.
19:13PM, to go to that question of bipartisanship, the coalition, some of the coalition have suggested
19:19that the Zekelai terror attack was linked in some way to your government's recognition
19:25of the state of Palestine, of any war that you want to visit, some site in the mass massacre of 2007.
19:33What's your response to those sort of things?
19:35Look, you know, I have tried as you will have seen, and some have been critical of me avoiding
19:43partisan comments this week. I'll continue to do so. But it is very clear from the evidence which
19:52has been got, some of which now, more of which is now into the public arena due to the police
20:00statement relating to the charges, that this was an ISIS-inspired attack.
20:06That we know that ISIS is an ideology, a perversion of Islam that essentially doesn't agree with any
20:20recognition of nation states, seeks a caliphate. It is an extremist ideology that seeks a caliphate as
20:31its objective. Now, there is evidence there will be continued to be produced, some of which, of course,
20:40is not yet public. And I don't want to interfere with those investigations. But it is very clear
20:48that this is anti-Semitic. It's clear that it is an extremist position of a perversion of Islam,
21:01which shows its position through support for ISIS. These people weren't shy about their motivation.
21:12And it is there for people to see. And I think that is, we'll stay over here. We'll just go.
21:17I understand. Thank you. Can I ask for your explanation on why you haven't committed to a
21:21national royal commission? Is it too entirely that sometimes it'll take years?
21:25Do you want something sooner? What's the reason?
21:29We want urgency and unity, not division and delay. We have commenced already the Richardson Review.
21:37Dennis Richardson met today with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. We want to make sure
21:44that Mr Richardson, who I don't think anyone can argue that there is anyone in this nation who is more
21:52qualified to oversee a review of our national security agencies and network and interrelationship between
22:02Commonwealth and state government than Dennis Richardson. We wanted him as well to have input
22:09into his terms of reference. And that is why that work began today. The New South Wales government have
22:15announced a royal commission and the federal government will cooperate fully with that.
22:21But Prime Minister, people like the former chief justice, Jewish community leaders, the opposition,
22:27civil society leaders, say the national royal commission would give extra weight, especially
22:32considering the biggest loss of life in Australia, the worst terrorist attack in decades. Why are they wrong?
22:38Well, because the Richardson Review will enable action to take place. It will report, as I have said,
22:45before April. That review can feed into any royal commission that is established in New South
22:52Wales that the federal government will cooperate with. If you have a look at the terms of reference
22:59that were released by the federal opposition today, if anyone suggests that it is possible
23:08that that will report any time this term, let alone years and years to come. Every royal commission has
23:19asked for an extension of time. What we want to do is, if there are any holes, any findings, any actions
23:27that are required, we want that to occur.
23:30Just picking up on that point, Prime Minister, you're not today away from both into the security agencies,
23:36but there are, of course, in the community that there are other issues at play with,
23:40such as like anti-senatism. What's your opposition to perhaps doing both, having that short, sharp review
23:46to get those answers on an operational level? And then a longer term would it be broader issues?
23:51Well, if you have a look at the broader issues that are proposed by the opposition, they are into
23:59education, the arts, culture, migration, the full suite of employment into the university sector,
24:09into home affairs, into the relationship between the Commonwealth and states and the nature of our
24:16federation. I mean, there are, it goes A to Y in the subsets, and then within that, and then within that,
24:27there are, in some cases, half a dozen subsets within it. It is a referendum into the entire way,
24:36not a referendum, a review or Royal Commission into the whole functioning of Australia. What we need to do,
24:47what we need to do is to work immediately. That is what the Richardson Review will do. And in addition
24:55to that, it will feed into the inquiry which has been announced in New South Wales. I had a discussion
25:03this morning with Premier Minns. They haven't finalised, of course, their terms of reference,
25:11and we'll continue to have those discussions, but we'll cooperate with that Royal Commission.
25:19The idea that we would have multiple Royal Commissions, as well as a review, running at the same time,
25:25is going to simply delay action, what we've been determined to do, and what the Cabinet has been
25:33doing today. We heard the Head of Director-General of ASIO, as well as the AFP Commissioner, both report
25:42extensively on the investigations that are taking place, on what lessons have been learnt, and where
25:49that is going to. The Richardson Review will do that, and will feed into the New South Wales Royal Commission.
25:58Prime Minister, you've said that you're sorry for the Jewish community's experience. The Foreign Minister,
26:04they also said she's sorry for how people experienced her actions when it came to her visit to Israel.
26:12I have no doubt that you're sorry for their experiences, but are you sorry for the mistakes
26:17the government? We take responsibility for everything that occurs on our watch. We have
26:30taken a range of actions. We are taking further actions, some of which we've announced today.
26:36Prime Minister, obviously as a significant legislation approved by Cabinet today,
26:43they expect to be back here sometime in January to make that law, and we'll have to wait until February.
26:49Well, we'll get the laws drafted as soon as possible, but we'll also make sure that we consult
26:57with the community firstly, and that is what these ministers are doing.
27:01Prime Minister, you've called for urgency and unity. Are you confident that there's sufficient bipartisan
27:09support for both the firearms reform and the legislative changes that you're announcing today?
27:17My message is that this is not a time for partisanship. This is a time for national unity.
27:24This is a time for the country to come together. That's what happens. That's what happens when,
27:30after the Port Arthur massacre, that is what occurred. During COVID, myself as leader of the opposition,
27:39offered support, even where we had amendments, we said we won't allow the perfect to be the enemy of
27:44the good. We will support what is required. This is a national interest test, and I think people will
27:51make their own judgment about whether partisanship is being evident at the moment.
27:58Prime Minister, the members of your Corpus, the National Royal Commission, is needed that a New
28:05South Wales line just won't go far enough for their role. Is that not your view?
28:09Well, a Royal Commission can give consideration to whatever the terms of reference are,
28:16and the Commonwealth will cooperate with that Royal Commission.
28:19Now, PM, you touched upon the young referendum.
28:22Just a couple more, yeah.
28:23In your opening preamble, just wondering what you mean by that, and are you concerned about
28:27the participants in the New South Wales Coalition over gun reform there as a precursor to what they
28:34have heard nationally?
28:35Well, look, there was support for, to go back to Port Arthur, and I was in this place.
28:45One of the things that happened there was that not just John Howard took action as Prime Minister,
28:52and he deserves credit for that. So too does Tim Fisher, who was at the time the leader of the National
28:58Party, but so too does Kim Beasley, who offered that bipartisan support. The parliament came together.
29:07That's what Australians wanted to see then, and it's what Australians want to see now.
29:12PM, to go to that question of bipartisanship. The coalition, some of the coalition have
29:17suggested that the borderline terror attack was linked in some way to your government's recognition
29:25of the state of Palestine, of any war that you want to visit, some of the site of the mass mass
29:31government. What's your response to those sort of claims?
29:34Look, I have tried, as you will have seen, and some have been critical of me avoiding partisan comments
29:44this week. I'll continue to do so, but it is very clear from the evidence which has been got, some of
29:52which now, more of which is now into the public arena due to the police statement relating to the charges,
30:03that this was an ISIS-inspired attack, that we know that ISIS is an ideology, a perversion of Islam that
30:17essentially doesn't agree with any recognition of nation states, seeks a caliphate. It is an extremist ideology
30:27that seeks a caliphate as its objective. Now, there is evidence there will continue to be produced, some of
30:39which, of course, is not yet public, and I don't want to interfere with those investigations.
30:44But it is very clear that this is anti-Semitic. It's clear that it is an extremist position of a
30:57perversion of Islam, which shows its position through support for ISIS. These people weren't shy
31:08about their motivation, and it is there for people to see, and I think that people should look at
31:16those facts which are there.
31:20What opposition would involve public hearings and won't be run out of your department? Are you running from scrutiny by not holding one?
31:26No. Thank you.
31:28Prime Minister, why is what is French wrong?
31:46Prime Minister, why is French wrong?
31:58Prime Minister, why is French wrong?
32:02Prime Minister, why is French wrong?
32:04I don't think she said that this is still true in his words.