What we learned, Friday 19 December
We’re going to wrap our day’s live news coverage there. Here are the main headlines from today:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced a national buyback scheme for firearms.
There are still 15 patients receiving hospital care in Sydney for injuries sustained in the terror attack on Sunday, according to NSW Health.
Funerals for people killed in the attack on Sunday continued today, including for Boris and Sofia Gurman and Edith Brutman.
Seven men detained in Sydney’s south-west last night in connection with possible planned violence were released from custody today without charge, pending further investigations.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has said pro-Palestine demonstrations are “unleashing forces in our community that are not being contained”.
The NSW Greens have objected to the plans for further restrictions on public protest, saying it is “authoritarian overreach” and would be “the most radical limits on peaceful assemblies in Australia’s history.”
NSW Police have warned they will embark on “a significant policing response to any large-scale public gatherings” over the weekend in the state.
The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says the Palestinian resistance phrase “globalise the intifada” should be considered hate speech as governments consider tougher laws on what can be said in public.
Thousands of surfers paddled out into the water at Bondi Beach this morning to pay tribute to the victims of Sunday’s terror attack.
Flags on all New South Wales and Australian government buildings will be flown at half-mast on Sunday as a mark of respect for the victims of the terror attack on Sunday.
Thanks so much for your company today. Look after yourselves this weekend and go gently.
Updated
NSW Health responds to cybersecurity report
We reported earlier that an auditor general’s report had found NSW local health districts were not meeting the minimum NSW government cybersecurity requirements.
NSW Health has responded to the report, with a spokesperson saying the agency takes cybersecurity very seriously, and has “a comprehensive program in place to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity issues” led by eHealth NSW.
The spokesperson said:
We are continuously strengthening these measures to ensure a proactive, resilient approach to emerging risks in this quickly evolving landscape.
We welcome the Audit Office of NSW’s final report on cyber security and accept all six recommendations.
Significant progress has already been made on each recommendation, and we are on track to meet the report’s deadlines. Actions include: reviewing roles and resourcing; educating staff on safeguarding patient data; implementing risk frameworks to enhance oversight and controls.
Earlier this year, eHealth NSW established a cybersecurity taskforce to drive this work, alongside our cybersecurity uplift programme, which is enhancing capacity, compliance and resilience across the health system, now and into the future.
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‘I used to call him Aquaman’: partner of Bondi shooting victim Dan Elkayam pays tribute to ‘the love of my life’
The partner of Bondi shooting victim Dan Elkayam has posted a tribute to her partner on social media.
Elkayam was a French national who had been living in Australia for several years. Over two posts on Instagram, Krystal Troyano wrote of the moment she first met Elkayam in 2022, and how she felt like they were destined to meet.
She wrote:
Dan was my water partner.
Whenever we were together, you could always find us in the water. And by water, I mean… under the water. We wanted to stay submerged for as long as possible, hoping to meet fish, sharks, whales, and stingrays.
… We woke up for the sunrise almost every day to spot whales with the drone, watch dolphins, or simply see the sun rise over the ocean. We learned how to surf together (and he even gifted me two surf lessons I was meant to take this week). We learned how to communicate underwater, how to swim among sharks, and how to live alongside them in peace for nearly an hour at a time.
We had our own techniques for finding marine life, and he taught me so much. I remember coming home from work and seeing him on the computer, researching shark species. He was deeply curious, and we were growing into our passion together. And did I mention that he could stay almost two minutes without breathing underwater? His next dream was to complete a freediving course — which we would take together.
Dan never let me down.
He nurtured my love for the ocean, and the ocean became our place.
I used to call him Aquaman.
But above all, I used to call him the love of my life.
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Here’s the video of Ahmed al-Ahmed in hospital, receiving the novelty cheque representing the $2.5m raised for him by supporters.
Nationals Senate leader accuses PM of giving ‘tacit approval’ to antisemitism in the community
Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie has accused the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, of giving “tacit approval” for an “explosion” of antisemitism in the community, and claimed he is trying to “deflect from those failures” with gun law reform.
Speaking to ABC News 24 this afternoon, McKenzie said Albanese was trying to “demonise law-abiding firearm owners … because of his failures and his government’s failures” on antisemitism.
McKenzie continued:
I think [this] is abhorrent and offensive. You know, and then to try and appropriate John Howard’s Port Arthur moment … The equivalence between Port Arthur and what happened last Sunday could not be starker. You should not be drawing the equivalence. One was a mass shooting by a madman. The other was a planned, premeditated Islamic terrorist attack …
[T]o then say to the 1 million law abiding firearm owners in this country, it’s your fault and we’re coming after you, is absolutely the wrong response … This man is weak. He’s refused to act and now he’s blaming a million of us who are law abiding firearm owners as if we’re somehow the problem.
McKenzie called for the government to recall parliament “so we can have these debates about legislation”.
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NSW Greens: proposed protest laws are ‘authoritarian overreach’
The NSW Greens have lauded the Minns government’s proposed actions on gun law reform but said its plans for further restrictions on public protest are “authoritarian overreach” and would be “the most radical limits on peaceful assemblies in Australia’s history.”
NSW Greens MP and justice spokesperson Sue Higginson said this afternoon that while she welcomed “with relief” the government’s announcement “nation-leading limits” on gun ownership and closure of legal loopholes around them, she was “utterly dismayed” by premier Chris Minns choosing to also “pursue unprecedented attacks on our democracy at this moment”.
Higginson said:
The new regime is unlike anything ever seen … Conflating the right to peaceful public assembly with the horrors of the antisemitic killings that we are all reeling from in Bondi is dangerous and divisive.
To do this in this moment, when we should be proceeding in unity and calm, is not leadership. Restricting the civil liberties of all Australians due to the actions of two depraved terrorists with guns is not conducive to social cohesion.
It was alarming to hear premier Chris Minns suggest that the March for Humanity over the Sydney Harbour Bridge had anything to do with the horrendous mass shooting at Bondi. The March for Humanity was some 300,000 good Australians coming together in the pouring rain to tell the world they would not sit by and watch the Israeli government continue to kill and starve innocent men, women and children in Gaza – we must not forget that. The premier cannot rewrite history.
I sincerely hope the government and MPs across the parliament will realise that once again the Minns cabinet is engaging in authoritarian overreach, and again they are likely breaching the constitutional freedom of political communication. If the government is hell-bent on passing these draconian measures, the parliament should make them a temporary measure, which will mean if these ill-conceived anti-protest laws are rushed through, they can be immediately reassessed.
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NSW Police issue warning about ‘unauthorised gatherings’ in NSW
Police have warned they will embark on “a significant policing response to any large-scale public gatherings” over the weekend in New South Wales.
A statement issued this afternoon from NSW police said:
While the NSW Police Force recognises people may want to protest due to recent events both here and overseas, we are asking the community to choose other ways to come together peacefully.
Police are also aware of a number of planned unauthorised gatherings around the state this weekend which have been promoted on social media. These have not gone through the formal process under the Summary Offences Act (1988).
We strongly encourage those planning or attending these events to reconsider. There will be a significant policing response to any large-scale public gatherings, and this is not a time for large gatherings that may heighten tension or create further risk to the safety of the community.
Anyone considering violence, retribution or vigilante behaviour, should know that police will respond swiftly and decisively.
The NSW Police Force will continue to take strong action against anyone who engages in criminal activity that is motivated by hate. We are committed to responding to all hate crimes. And we encourage anyone who is the victim of a hate crime or witnesses a hate crime to report the matter to police.
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All seven men detained in Sydney last night released from custody
Seven men detained in Sydney’s south-west last night in connection with possible planned violence have been released from custody today without charge.
NSW police confirmed this afternoon that the men were released pending further investigations.
Police had intercepted the men, aged between 19 and 24, on Thursday night after receiving information that a violent act was possibly being planned. The men were believed to adhere to a similar ideology as the Bondi gunmen and may have been trying to visit Bondi, police alleged.
In a statement today, police said:
Police acted quickly to prevent the advancement of any plan.
There is no immediate safety risk to the community.
Investigations will continue to review all available evidence and an investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
You can read more here:
Updated
Victorian court dismisses class action that would have prevented demolition of public housing towers
A Victorian court has dismissed a case brought by residents of Melbourne’s public housing towers to prevent the buildings from being demolished, meaning they once again face the threat of eviction.
A class action against the Victorian government’s plan to demolish and rebuild all 44 of Melbourne’s public housing towers by 2051 was thrown out by the Supreme Court in April, and on Friday the court of appeal found Supreme Court Justice Melinda Richards had not erred in her ruling that Homes Victoria did not legally have to consult with residents on the plan.
The plan, unveiled by former premier Daniel Andrews in September 2023, will lead to the relocation of more than 10,000 residents. Evictions were halted due to legal proceedings, but 91% of families have already been moved.
Homes Victoria staff door-knocked every tower resident after the announcement but residents also found out through a televised press conference and flyers under their doors.
While the court found residents weren’t owed procedural fairness, the three-justice bench was critical of the government agency’s approach.
Chief Justice Richard Niall said:
The decision to implement the housing policy without consultation caused significant grief to residents within the housing estates.
The court dismissed Homes Victoria’s request to recoup $10,000 in legal costs, with Justice Niall noting the case was of public interest and sufficiently cogent to warrant an appeal.
The appeal was led by Inner Melbourne Community Legal on behalf of Jason Mallard, a disability pensioner who has lived in a public housing tower on 120 Racecourse Road in Flemington for 27 years.
Inner Melbourne Community Legal managing lawyer Louisa Bassini said her clients would now “be facing the prospect of eviction leading up to the Christmas period”.
– AAP
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Farmers seek clarity on proposed gun reforms
The peak body for farmers in New South Wales has said it is seeking further detail on the proposed changes to gun laws and what the material consequences will be for “law-abiding farmers and those in agriculture”.
In a statement this afternoon, a spokesperson for NSW Farmers said:
NSW Farmers notes the exemptions for primary producers in the state government’s proposed firearms reforms. However, we have urgently asked for more detail on what this practically means for the law-abiding farmers and those in agriculture who will be affected.
NSW Farmers chose to engage directly with politicians this week to avoid causing further harm or distress to those impacted by the atrocity at Bondi on Sunday and will not be making further statements until more information is available.
Queensland government extends puberty blocker ban
The pause on puberty blockers and hormone treatment for new adolescent patients with gender dysphoria in Queensland’s public system will continue until at least 2031, Queensland’s health minister Tim Nicholls announced on Friday.
The decision comes despite a review by Victoria’s former chief psychiatrist, Prof Ruth Vine, finding that treatment decisions “must be informed by each individual’s presentation and circumstances”.
With proper and cautious oversight, standards and appropriate reporting, “there can be benefit for a young person in being able to access puberty blockers,” the review, now made public, found.
Medical experts, health bodies and LGBTQ+ organisations have questioned the government’s interpretation of the Vine review.
The report also highlights the risks of denying care to young people in the public system, including forcing them to seek treatment outside multidisciplinary teams in public hospitals, creating inequities based on socioeconomic status or location, and found withholding care will not contribute to strengthening the evidence base.
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown said:
Nothing in the Vine report concludes that gender-affirming care is inherently unsafe, ineffective or harmful and the analysis appears to favour the two options that would enable service to resume.
For the government to use this report to justify extending the ban is extraordinary and profoundly cynical. The minister’s selective interpretation misrepresents the findings and distorts the evidence.
Read more:
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NSW local health districts not meeting minimum cybersecurity requirements, report finds
Local health districts are not meeting the minimum NSW government cybersecurity requirements, an auditor-general’s report has found.
It comes after Guardian Australia revealed doctors had been left outraged after NSW Health “recklessly” leaked their personal and professional data online in September.
The confidential documents belonging to almost 600 medical staff, including 67 senior doctors in Sydney, were mistakenly made accessible on the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Shoalhaven local health districts’ websites, which use a shared system, “via search”.
The NSW auditor-general’s report, released today, found:
NSW Health is not effectively managing cyber security risks to clinical systems that support healthcare delivery in Local Health Districts. In addition, Local Health Districts have not met the minimum NSW Government cyber security requirements that have been outlined in NSW Cyber Security Policy since 2019.
Key requirements of that policy include identification of “crown jewel systems” (the most valuable and operationally vital systems or information in an organisation), cybersecurity considerations in business continuity and disaster recovery planning, and implementation of the Essential Eight cyber control, such as implementing multi-factor authentication.
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Ahmed al-Ahmed receives novelty cheque for money raised to support him
Earlier this morning we brought you the news that Ahmed al-Ahmed had been presented with an oversized novelty cheque for $2.5m, representing the funds raised for him among the $5m that had been donated for different fundraisers supporting people in the aftermath of the terror attack.
Here’s a picture of that moment with Ahmed that’s been shared on Instagram.
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Fifteen shooting victims still in hospital
There are still 15 patients receiving hospital care in Sydney for injuries sustained in the terror attack on Sunday, according to NSW Health.
One patient’s condition has stabilised at Royal Prince Alfred hospital since this morning, while another’s has unfortunately become critical, albeit stable, at St Vincent’s.
As of 1:30pm, Friday 19 December:
One patient is in a stable condition at Prince of Wales hospital.
One patient is in a critical but stable condition and one patient is in a stable condition at St George hospital.
Three patients are in a critical but stable condition and one patient is stable at St Vincent’s Hospital.
Five patients are stable at Royal Prince Alfred hospital.
Three patients are in a stable condition at Royal North Shore hospital.
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NSW Jewish Board of Deputies welcomes ‘measured changes’ to protest laws
The peak representative body for the Jewish community in NSW has welcomed the state government’s plan to limit protests for up to three months after terrorist incidents.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has announced legislation which would give the police the power to ban applications for protests in designated areas following a terrorist incident, including Sunday’s Bondi beach attack, for up to three months.
In a statement, the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip, said the “measured changes” would do “the obvious and decent thing, protect grieving community members from at best ignorant activists and at worst bad actors seeking to provoke conflict in the wake of a terror attack”:
The right to protest is an Australian value but so is letting us come together without harassment and intimidation to mourn and support each other.
A free, respectful and cohesive society is at the heart of the promise of Australia but Sunday’s violent murders are tragic proof that it is also a fragile and much damaged ideal.
But Ossip called for further changes, saying the laws “will only apply in the wake of a terror attack”.
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And with that, I am going to hand over to Stephanie Convery, who will take you through to the evening.
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Identity of 15th victim of Bondi terror attack reported in Sydney media
The 15th and final victim of the Bondi terror attack to be identified has been widely reported by Sydney media to be 68-year-old Tania Tretiak.
NSW police said they had been asked by the family not to confirm the victim’s identity and wouldn’t comment further.
Holocaust survivors, community heroes and 10-year-old Matilda are among the other victims of the shooting on Sunday.
Most were attending a celebration for the first day of Hanukkah when the shooting began.
It is the worst mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
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Ulman says Brutman was a person “who did everything in a full-on way” – she wanted to be charitable, to contribute and give. Her husband, Tibor Hashem, also died in the shootings, with his funeral held yesterday.
The vast majority of people that I had to eulogise are the people that I feel are my family, and Edith is certainly one of them. It is truly difficult for me to imagine that she’s not here, and for many reasons.
She wasn’t just part of our lives. She was a very, very vocal part of our lives, she made sure that we knew she was around.
Her love, her loyalty, her devotion, was really unique in every way.
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Funeral begins for Edith Brutman
The funeral for victim Edith Brutman, the vice-president of NSW’s anti-prejudice and anti-discrimination committee at B’nai B’rith, has begun.
It is the second public funeral Rabbi Yehoram Ulman has led today, and the tenth funeral since the tragedy. The Israeli ambassador has also read a prayer.
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NSW Faith Affairs Council launches campaign encouraging Australians to do one act of kindness, compassion or charity
The NSW Faith Affairs Council, with support from the Minns government is launching the #OneMitzvahforBondi campaign.
The campaign asks all Australians to undertake one act of kindness, compassion or charity, and to share their good deed with the wider community. You can do this through: volunteering, donating, giving blood, calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, buying a neighbour a coffee, or supporting those in need.
Chair of the NSW Faith Affairs Council Right Rev Dr Michael Stead, of the Anglican Church of Australia, said:
At the core of our faith communities is a commitment to love and compassion.
The NSW Faith Affairs Council encourages everyone to take part in the One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign, to spread warmth and kindness to our fellow Australians.
I would like to sincerely thank our Jewish leaders for their grace and guidance during this unfathomable period of grief.
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Male WA police officer charged with assault occasioning bodily harm after investigation of arrest of woman
The Western Australia police force has charged a 23-year-old male constable from the Fremantle District, after an internal investigation into his alleged involvement in the arrest of a woman in North Fremantle on Friday, 17 January 2025.
The officer has been charged with two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
He is due to appear before Fremantle magistrates court today, Friday, 19 December 2025.
The officer has been stood down from operational duties.
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Judge rules far-right extremist did perform Nazi salute after appeal
A far-right extremist did perform a Nazi salute outside court, a judge has ruled following an appeal hearing, AAP has reported.
Jacob Hersant, 26, in November 2024 became the first Australian jailed for performing a Nazi salute in public.
The self-described neo-Nazi was sentenced to one month behind bars but immediately launched an appeal against his conviction in the Victorian county court.
After a three-day hearing in October, Judge Simon Moglia on Friday ruled Hersant was guilty of intentionally performing the salute on 27 October 2023.
The 26-year-old had argued he did not perform the sieg heil and, even if he did, the charge was constitutionally invalid as the gesture was a legitimate form of political expression.
Video played in court showed Hersant raising his arm to salute in front of media outside the County Court, about six days after Victorian laws banning the gesture came into effect.
He was then captured on camera saying “nearly did it – it’s illegal now” and “Australia for the white man, heil Hitler”, before walking away.
Moglia described the comments after the gesture as a brazen acknowledgment of his offending.
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Greens support gun buyback, urging reforms to be ‘above politics’
The Greens have welcomed Labor’s firearms buyback announcement and called for greater transparency around gun ownership and a ban on recreational hunting.
The government announced the biggest buyback in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre, following the terror attack in Bondi on Sunday.
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, said parliament and the community should “unify” to get more guns off Australia’s streets.
There are now more guns in the community than before the Port Arthur massacre. It’s time we built on the last gun buyback and strengthened our gun laws to keep communities safer – at the same time as tackling antisemitism, racism and radicalisation.
The Greens will help to get guns off our streets, and so should every member of parliament. It should be above politics to stop the hoarding of these weapons that killed so many innocent men, women and children.
There are more than 4m legally owned guns in Australia, an increase of more than 25% since landmark law reforms were introduced by the Howard government in 1996.
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PM visits Asio and AFP headquarters
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has visited the headquarters of Asio and the Australian federal police in Canberra, as investigations into the Bondi terror attacks continue.
During the visits on Friday, the prime minister thanked officers for their work in the wake of last Sunday night’s killings.
Albanese spoke with the AFP’s counter-terrorism team, receiving an update on the investigation into the deaths of 15 people, before meeting with Asio director general, Mike Burgess, and Asio officers who were part of the initial response on Sunday night.
Earlier, Albanese and the AFP commissioner, Krissy Barrett, confirmed officers from the Office of National Intelligence had established the shooters had used a regular online video game feed from terror group Islamic State.
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Object that struck self-driving Tesla remains a mystery
It did not come from outer space.
Andrew Melville-Smith was in his Tesla on a South Australian highway when something smashed into the windscreen, and it looked as though it had partially melted it.
The SA Museum investigated whether a meteorite was the culprit as there was “no clear earthly source of the debris”.
But today the museum says the windscreen discolouration was not from heat damage, that the shattering of the windscreen is consistent with an object about 2cm in diameter striking it, and that it was unlikely to be extraterrestrial. In a statement, the museum said:
The Australian Space Agency confirmed for the museum that it did not detect any objects entering the atmosphere at the time of the incident.
The identity of the object remains a mystery, however the available evidence does not point towards an extraterrestrial source. The South Australian Museum is confident that the damage was not caused by a meteorite.
More than 200 civil society organisations express solidarity with Jewish community
More than 200 civil society organisations, representing millions of Australians, have issued a joint statement of solidarity with the Australian Jewish community following the antisemitic terror attack on Hanukkah celebrations in Bondi.
The statement expresses shared grief with the families, victims, first responders and the wider Jewish community, and a clear rejection of antisemitism and anti-Jewish racism in Australia. It also echoes the NSW Faith Affairs Council’s call for unity and explicitly rejects efforts to exploit the tragedy to create fear, division or disinformation.
Australian Democracy Network executive director, Saffron Zomer, said the statement reflects civil society standing together:
This attack has caused deep pain and fear. We stand with the Australian Jewish community in grief, love and solidarity. Civil society is united in rejecting antisemitism and committing to deepen our understanding of how such violence arises and how it can be prevented.
Climate Action Network Australia CEO, Denise Cauchi, said the statement shows broad sector unity around safety and belonging:
The Jewish community, like everyone in Australia, has the right to celebrate and express their culture, identity and faith in safety. Antisemitism and anti-Jewish racism must have no place in our society.
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Six people safe after boat capsized in Tasmania
Six people are safe after their vessel capsized near Cape Direction, South Arm, Tasmania earlier this morning.
Inspector Nikala Parsons said the group – four adults and two children – activated a distress beacon shortly before 8.30am.
Parsons said:
Marine police aboard the Police Vessel Dauntless responded, along with uniform officers on land.
Thankfully, the group managed to reach the shore at Fort Direction after their 6m Edencraft vessel capsized. They are now safe and warm.
At this stage, we believe the incident was caused by a mechanical failure.
The vessel cannot be retrieved today, and Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) has been notified.
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Minns has just been asked about these new laws stifling protests. He says:
That’s not our intent, not designed to be targeted at a specific group, but I – I’m firmly of the view that when we get to the point where you see passions enlivened to the point that it can unleash violence in our community, we have to take action.
So it’s extraordinary, it’s under a terrorism designation. I know that people will oppose it. I know that people will say, “It’s a step too far.” I don’t think it is. I think right now, because of the combustible situation out there, if we did have mass protests with violent imagery and chants that we have seen, I think it would rip apart our community.
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Chis Minns says pro-Palestinian marches would ‘sow division and hatred in our community’
Minns:
We made it clear there’s nothing we can do about a group of people meeting on a street corner, we can’t do it, other than the powers that’s in the front of a synagogue or a mosque or a church or a religious institution, it’s not possible to do that.
What we can do is stop the marches through the heart of the city to national landmarks which I think would sow division and hatred in our community.
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Minns urges people not to ‘cower in the face of terrorism’
Asked if people should be worried about going out, Minns says it’s “a cliche” but not to let the terrorists win.
They want us to not live like Australians. So listen to official communication, but if you’re planning on going out on New Year’s Eve, I think you can show defiance to these terrorists by keep going with your plans and have fun with your family and friends and enjoy our beautiful weather.
I think you saw this morning at Bondi with that paddle-out that there are millions of Australians who are not going to cower in the face of terrorism and that’s a fantastic thing.
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Minns says he feels a personal responsibility for the attack.
Yeah, I mean, of course I do. I take – I take a deep responsibility for what happened. The profound responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens and that’s not what happened on Sunday.
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‘Extraordinary measures’ required in wake of Bondi shootings, Minns says
Minns has been asked about the pro-Palestine protest, which saw over 100,000 people walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He says his views are well known, and he did not support that protest.
I understand that people have genuine concerns about issues that are happening around the world, have deep and passionate interests about human rights or issues in other jurisdictions, of course, they do. But my concern is Sydney right now ...
We are in a situation at the moment where members of our community not only feel unsafe but as of Sunday were targeted because of their faith. So extraordinary measures are required to begin the process of re-establishing trust, not just with the Jewish community, but everybody who lives in New South Wales.
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NSW counter-terrorism minister announces gun buyback scheme
The NSW minister for police and counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley, said there will be a buyback scheme for guns.
We are obviously working on that. It’s not been many days since our terrorist attack in Bondi. But I can give you an indication in Western Australia – they have put $63m aside for their buyback and they have 90,000 guns.
So that gives you – ours would probably be ballpark figure three or four times, perhaps more than that.
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Minns has been asked about his 180 on gun control:
There is a very different world between where we are today and where we were before Sunday. We have to change. We all have to change. What we had done is not working.
The number one responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens and it’s a deep sense of responsibility that I feel that that didn’t happen on Sunday.
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Pro-Palestinian protests ‘unleashing forces in our community that are not being contained’, Minns says
Minns has been asked about the pro-Palestine protests and if he backs the opposition’s idea of making protesters pay police to hold them. He says:
I mean, my view about these protests has been that it is unleashing forces in our community that are not being contained. When you see people marching and showing violent, bloody images, images of death and destruction, it’s unleashing something in our community that the organisers of the protest can’t contain.
The truth of the matter is – we can’t risk another mass demonstration on that scale in New South Wales. The implications can be seen in my view on Sunday, not just on Sunday – the anti-Jewish, antisemitism graffiti and arson attacks in our community over the last two years.
He says he supports the idea, but it is unconstitutional.
I think it’s good that ideas are being pushed forward. I’m not going to act on that specific one today and there’s a reason for it. I got clear advice is that – is that it breaches the commonwealth constitution.
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NSW gathering laws ‘based on public safety alone’
Daley says the minister for police will be able to declare no gatherings where they fear that a public assembly is likely to cause a reasonable person to fear harassment, intimidation or violence.
They could be made for 14 days periods and they can be extended and the areas can be amended as well.
As I say, it’s not to show any one group out or to tell them to stay at home. This is based on public safety and public safety alone.
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New public assembly laws ‘unprecedented’, says NSW attorney general
The attorney general of New South Wales, Michael Daley, is speaking now. He says the new laws around public assemblies are “unprecedented”.
I just want to make it clear, we don’t have the power, the government doesn’t have the power, to declare the streets of New South Wales or any parts of them a no-go zone. We don’t have the power to do that.
The premier has said very clearly that he wants – we all agree – that this summer to be a summer of heal, not of protest and not of division.
These laws apply all over New South Wales. It will enable the police commissioner or deputy commissioner in concurrence with the minister to declare an area one where no form ones can be approved – that means there’ll be no authorised public assemblies. So they’re not targeted importantly at any person, any group, any individual, any ideology, any community – they are based purely on public safety.
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Minns says the Islamic State flag will also be banned.
The New South Wales government will also introduce legislation to ban ISIS flags in New South Wales to ensure that they’re not used as part of a demented terrorist organisation propaganda.
These are extraordinary measures. I want to make it clear they’re not the end of the measures.
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NSW to have ‘toughest gun laws in the country’, Minns says
Secondly, Minns says they will reform gun laws – introducing the toughest gun laws in the country.
The government will introduce a bill to impose a cap of four firearms per individual with strict exemptions for primary producers and sporting shooters.
[We] will reclassify straight, pull, pump-action, button, lever release firearms into category C – limiting their access primarily to farmers, agriculture, primary producers.
We’ll reduce magazine capacities for category A and B firearms to a maximum of five to 10 rounds from the current unlimited capacity.
We’ll introduce a complete ban on firearms that can use belt-fed magazines and we will remove the New South Wales civil and administrative tribunal review pathway once a designation has been made that the licence should be taken.
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Minns on new gathering laws:
These are important changes, but they’re necessary. We believe to live up to the number one priority of any government in office – the number one priority for any political leader, any government or any parliament, and that is to protect its citizens.
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Minns says no court will be able to overrule the decision to ban public gatherings:
No public assemblies in a designated area will be able to be authorised including by a court. Police will have access to existing powers to move people on where their behaviour presents or causes harassment or intimidation or obstructs traffic.
Now, just to give you the specifics of it – a declaration must be called within 14 days of a terrorism designation being reached under the Police Powers Act.
It will then be in order for 14 days, but can be extended for a further 14 days up to a period of three months. This is obviously extraordinary powers, not seen before in any jurisdiction in the country.
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Public gatherings to be restricted during high-risk periods, NSW premier says
Minns says there will be a series of reforms introduced to the New South Wales parliament on Monday, including restricting public gatherings during high-risk times.
Firstly, the government will act to ensure that we restrict the authorisation of public assemblies during high-risk times like when there is a terrorist event in New South Wales.
When a terrorist incident is formally declared under the Terrorism Police Powers Act, the police commissioner or deputy commissioner of police with the agreement of the minister for police will be able to declare a specific area where the public assemblies are restricted for a period of time.
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‘Massive’ memorial for victims of Hanukah attack to be held in the future, Minns says
Minns says there will be a “massive” memorial in the future, which the government is talking to the Jewish community about.
The truth of the matter is that we want as many people there as possible including those who are currently in hospital or caring for loved ones or are in the process of burying loved ones and we want them to be part – or have the opportunity to be a partner of this memorial.
So that’s going to take a number of weeks. It won’t be held before Christmas.
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Buildings to be lit in yellow on Sunday evening, NSW premier says
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is up now. He said:
Obviously as a result of the devastating events of Sunday, the New South Wales government having worked with the Jewish community of this state has designated that Sunday will be a day of national reflection to honour the victims of the terrorist attack at Bondi beach and also to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community of our country.
So on Sunday, flags on Australian and New South Wales government buildings will be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect for the lives lost and the shared sense of grief right across the country. Buildings will be lit up in yellow for the evening, and lights will beam from the sky from Bondi Pavilion.
The government will help members to hold a memorial event and a shared candle image will be used on social media. It’s a day of reflection and a pause for the terrible events and the shocking crimes that occurred last Sunday.
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Lanyon has been asked about one of the Bondi gunmen purchasing three shotguns within a few months. He said:
Because they were appropriate to be held by the licence class that he had. Absolutely the firearms registry would have been aware because someone has to apply for a permit to acquire before they acquire a shotgun.
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Lanyon:
I have been clear we will monitor these men whilst they’re in New South Wales. And we will work closely with Victorian and other commonwealth law enforcement partners.
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Lanyon says community can take comfort in speed of police action
Asked if there is an ongoing risk, Lanyon said:
The community can take great comfort in seeing how promptly the New South Wales police acted.
As I said, we received the information yesterday afternoon from a law enforcement partner. Based on that information, we had a risk that we did not believe that we could tolerate.
We won’t accept violence and what you saw was a very prompt and very firm response by the New South Wales Police.
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Lanyon says police cannot say if they were planning an attack:
The motive or the likely potential violent attack is unknown, but we were not prepared to take any risk.
We have an incredibly low tolerance for risk when we have evidence or information that someone may be prepared to use violence. The primary responsibility of the New South Wales police is to keep our community safe and we will do that.
What you saw yesterday is a very clear indication that we will act promptly to prevent any potential violence within New South Wales.
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‘No confirmed link’ between men arrested in Liverpool at Bondi attackers
Lanyon:
I think as I said it before – Islamic extremist ideology is something we are looking at between them. There is no confirmed link between the men at Bondi and the seven men we detained yesterday.
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Seven men arrested may be released but will 'continue to monitored', NSW police commissioner says
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, is speaking now. He says the seven men arrested may be released:
The seven men travelled from Victoria. Whilst this specific threat posed by the males is unknown, I can say that the potential of a violent offence being committed was such that we were not prepared to tolerate the risk and interdict accordingly.
The information received was that Bondi may have been one of a number of locations that the males were intending to attend, but the reason for attending is unknown. The justification for their ongoing detention no longer exists subject to a review of evidence.
They will continue to be monitored whilst in New South Wales and we will work closely with our Victorian and commonwealth law enforcement partners.
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Governor general says her job right now is to ensure Australians don’t ‘fall into division’
The governor general, Sam Mostyn, has returned to Bondi beach. She spoke to the media:
My job right now is to ensure the people of Australia are not inclined to fall into division.
This is a democracy that is strong and born of First Nations culture and British institutions, and the last 50 and 60 years of people coming from somewhere else to build a modern Australia.
I recently visited Holocaust survivors in Sydney to hear from them some months ago, and they were warning me to tell the story of the Holocaust and antisemitism, and I have been doing that the whole time I have been in my office.
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Asked if the operation in south-west Sydney yesterday stopped another terrorist attack, Barrett said:
As I said, it is an active and ongoing matter and people are still in custody, so I won’t speak specifically to that.
What I will say is it as an example of the hyper environment we are operating in and an example that members of the public can be confident that police will take swift and decisive action. Yesterday afternoon was a clear example of that.
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The PM:
There is something wrong with the licensing laws when this guy can have six high-powered rifles, which is why the government is acting.
Arrests in Liverpool an ‘ongoing and active matter’, AFP commissioner says
The federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, has been asked about the arrests last night, with reports that people with similar extremist ideology had driven from Victoria and were potentially going to visit Bondi. She says:
That is an ongoing and active matter … [police have] still got a number of people in custody. They did put a media statement now [and] Deputy Commissioner Hudson has done media interviews this morning.
I won’t go into further detail other than to confirm there was information passed to NSW police from partner agencies. I went confirm, this is a NSW police matter and ongoing and active.
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The PM said he wants to work cooperatively on the new hate speech laws:
We’re going to make sure that we get the laws right. I take it to some of the previous comments that have been here as well, have gone to – why didn’t we do more? We want to make sure that the laws are got right, and we want to make sure as well that there is broad support for it across the board.
We will engage constructively. We will, when drafts are able to be achieved, for what is complex laws, because there are constitutional issues, there are issues of free speech involved in this as well.
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PM chastises Coalition for history of saying anti-discrimination laws an attack on free speech
Asked if the PM should have moved sooner on hate speech laws, Albanese said they are the only government to act on this:
We introduced the first hate speech laws – we introduced the first hate speech laws that have been introduced in Australia. We’re the first government to outlaw Nazi symbols. We inherited a situation where – I’ve been in this building a long time.
For a lot of the time, I’ve been defending the existing anti-discrimination laws, which the Coalition, for long period of time, said was an attack on freedom of speech and tried to remove them.
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‘There’s something wrong’ with current firearms laws, PM says
The PM has been asked what his message would be to owners of firearms who do not want to give them up?
My message is that, in 1996, the then-Howard government did the right thing. Intervened to have a scheme which Australians have been rightly proud of. We need to go further. My message is that the issue of someone involved as a sporting shooter like Dan Repacholi is quite rightly proud of his representation of Australia.
And he is a great local member, but he has a proud record going back. But if a bloke in Bonnyrigg needs six high-powered rifles and is able to get them under existing licensing schemes, then there’s something wrong. I think Australians can see that.
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Changes ‘will make it easier for the AFP to take action quicker’, commissioner says
Barrett:
The announcement today to boost the numbers of our hate disrupters, as well as planned changes to lower the threshold for hate speech, will make it easier for the AFP to take action quicker.
It could be the difference between us just knocking on a door to warn an individual, to an individual being placed in handcuffs. Finally, if I could make these observations – as funerals for the Bondi beach victims continue, I offer my sincere condolences on behalf of the AFP.
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National security investigations teams a ‘fly-in squad of hate disrupters’
Barrett:
When I became commissioner in October, I was so concerned about Australia’s degrading security environment that I announced the formation of the new national security investigations teams to target groups and individuals causing high harm to our social cohesion.
Essentially, the national security investigations teams are a fly-in squad of hate disrupters who focus on high-harm, high-impact, politically motivated violence, communal violence, and hate crimes that don’t meet the threshold for terrorism investigations, but that we know drive fear and division.
This is all about stopping hate and division earlier, and well before it leads to violence. So far, this crack squad has charged 14 individuals across 13 investigations. Of those, four individuals across four operations were charged for offences relating to antisemitism.
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AFP has 161 investigations ongoing as part of antisemitism probe
Australian federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said:
There are groups and individuals across Australia who are eroding the country’s social fabric by advocating hatred, fear and humiliation. I’m not going to mince my words – too much of this is directed at the Jewish community. A year ago, the AFP set up Operation Avalite to investigate antisemitism because of rising concerns and threats.
The AFP has 161 current Avalite investigations, and 10 individuals have already been charged. This is just unbelievable. As country, we should really reflect on those statistics.
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AFP to receive funding boost to disrupt hate crimes
The PM says the government will also boost the AFP and the work they’re doing through Operation Avalite.
This is the operation that was established, of course, to deal with antisemitism. We will provide extra funds to provide the national security investigation teams. Those teams disrupt high-harm, high-impact, politically motivated violence, communal violence, and hate crimes.
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Albanese vows to ‘get guns off our streets’
The PM:
Australians are rightly proud of our gun laws and, until five years ago, Australians were rightly proud that there had not been a repeat of Port Arthur. They were rightly proud that we’re not home to the constant carnage we see in some countries.
But there have been, of course, incidents in both Queensland and Victoria that have seen so-called sovereign citizens murder police officers. We will introduce this national buyback scheme to get guns off our streets and to help to assist to make all Australians safe.
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Australian citizenship to be prerequisite for gun ownership
The PM says there will be stronger regulations about who can own guns and how many they can own:
The national gun buyback scheme is on top of the work that was agreed by national cabinet on Monday, limiting the number of firearms to be held by any one individual. Limiting open-ended firearms licensing and the types of guns that are legal, making Australian citizenship a condition of holding a firearm licence, accelerating work on standing up the National Firearms Register, and allowing the additional use of criminal intelligence to underpin firearms licensing.
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‘We expect hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed’: PM
The PM says the government will introduce legislation to support the funding of this buyback scheme.
And meet the costs on a 50-50 basis with states and territories. We expect hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed through this scheme.
Consistent with the approach that was taken in 1996, the government is proposing that states and territories will be responsible for the collection, processing, and payment to individuals for surrendered firearms. The Australian federal police will then be responsible for the destruction of these firearms.
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Albanese announces national gun buyback scheme
Albanese has announced a national buyback scheme for firearms.
The government will establish a national gun buyback scheme to purchase surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms – the largest buyback since the Howard government initiated one in 1996.
Australia’s gun laws were substantially reformed after the Port Arthur tragedy. The terrible events at Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets. We know that one of these terrorists held a firearm licence and had six guns, in spite of living in the middle of Sydney’s suburbs, at Bonnyrigg.
There’s no reason why someone in that situation needed that many guns. There are now more than 4 million firearms in Australia – more than at the time of the Port Arthur massacre nearly 30 years ago.
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Flags to fly at half-mast on Sunday during day of reflection for Bondi terror attack victims
The PM is speaking in Canberra. He says Sunday 21 December will be a day of reflection to honour the victims of the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, and to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.
Further, my government – and the New South Wales government and other premiers as well – will work closely with the Jewish community on arrangements for a national day of mourning to be held in the new year.
This will allow families the time and space to lay their loved ones to rest and to support those still recovering. On Sunday, flags on all New South Wales and Australian government buildings will be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect for the lives lost and the grief shared across our nation.
People across Australia are invited to light a candle at 6:47pm and observe a minute of silence.
This day is about standing with the Jewish community, wrapping our arms around them, and all Australians sharing their grief. It is a moment to pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and violence will never define who we are as Australians.
Updated
Albanese to address media
We are expecting the PM to address the media in about 10 minutes. I will bring you that as soon as he is up.
Updated
Police and security to be present at one of Australia’s largest mosques for Friday prayers
NSW police and additional security will be present at Lakemba Mosque, one of the largest in Australia, today for Friday prayers.
The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) confirmed the security presence. A spokesperson for the LMA said today’s sermon will focus on unity.
As reported earlier, NSW police said it is maintaining high-visibility operations and tasking at a wide range of locations, including places of worship and other crowded places, “to ensure the community feels safe”.
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NSW premier, ambassador and Australia Post colleagues among those at funeral of Boris and Sofia Gurman
Dozens have gathered to mourn Boris and Sofia Gurman, the couple killed on Sunday as they tackled the shooter in Bondi.
Members of Sydney’s Jewish community and dignitaries are at the service at the Chevra Kadisha in Woollahra, where Alex Kleytman and 10-year-old Matilda were remembered yesterday.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Labor member for nearby Kingsford-Smith and the assistant foreign affairs minister, is in attendance, as is the NSW premier, Chris Minns, and his cabinet member Ron Hoenig.
Also present are Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, David Ossip, the president of NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, and four women in black Australia Post uniforms. Sofia Gurman was a beloved member of the post office team in Bondi.
The funeral home is full, with mourners standing at the back and by the door, while others sit in the shade outside the front of the red brick building. A dozen police officers stand by and two lanes of traffic on Sydney’s busy Oxford Street are closed, ready for the two hearses, side by side, to carry the couple to their final resting place.
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Funerals of Boris and Sofia Gurman take place
Rabbi Yehoram Ulman has just spoken at the funerals of Boris and Sofia Gurman, who were killed while trying to stop a gunman during the early stages of the attack.
Ulman:
Every single member of our community feels the pain of each other. It’s like a large family that has suffered multiple losses.
Yesterday, we buried a 10-year-old girl. Today … we have … it has been years since I’ve seen two coffins next to each other.
Boris and Sophia. To them, we can apply the eternal words of King David, I mean by most pleasant and beloved, the lives and in the death, they were not separated.
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Victorian premier seeking further information about arrests in Liverpool
Allan was asked if Victorian authorities were aware of the individuals arrested at Liverpool last night. She says:
At this stage, Victoria police are engaging with their counterparts in New South Wales. The information is not fully available at this stage because the investigations are ongoing. We’ve all seen the footage and the images of what has occurred and thank [NSW police] for their swift action.
But at this stage, there was just not enough information to speculate on why these people were travelling in this vehicle in this vicinity.
She says she is seeking further information from the Victoria police commissioner, Mike Bush, once he has been briefed.
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Victorian premier says she was ‘shocked’ and ‘embarrassed’ by husband’s breath-test failure
Jacinta Allan says: “Drink-driving is an incredibly serious issue. So is road trauma. We recognise that and I am truly sorry.”
She says before the random breath test Yorick was involved in a “minor collision with another vehicle”.
“To step back through the sequence of events, there had been that minor back-end collision – a fender bender – when the cars came to a stop at the intersection. Details were exchanged. The other driver indicated they were OK and both went on their way. And it was a little bit further up the road towards Bendigo where Victoria police had established a roadside breath testing operation where they were waving vehicles in three at a time. And he was waved in as part of that and, quite clearly, was quite willing to submit to a breath test.”
The couple will pay for the damage to the other vehicle, she says.
Allan says, “there was no contemplation that he would have received that reading of exactly .05”.
“I was deeply shocked. I was deeply shocked, disappointed and embarrassed.”
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Victorian premier says she and husband had celebrated son’s birthday the night before breath test
Allan says the evening before the couple had celebrated their son’s birthday at a local pub. She says:
We headed home around 8pm. My husband is also currently taking medication for a health issue and, as a result of the medication mixing with the alcohol from the night before, he simply shouldn’t have been driving.
She says the couple have made a $1,000 donation to Amber Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation providing free professional counselling, road incident support and road safety education.
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Jacinta Allan’s husband loses licence after failing breath test
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced her husband, Yorick, has lost his licence after he blew over the limit after a minor collision.
She says:
I wish to advise it yesterday morning, just before 9am, my husband, Yorick, was going into the supermarket in Bendigo to pick up some groceries when he was pulled over for a random breath test. As a result of this test, he blew point .05.
He has, as a result, received an on-the-spot fine and lost his licence for three months. This will take effect from the 16th of January.
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Dan Repacholi says gun laws must not be designed ‘to appease public anger without improving safety’
Labor MP and Olympic shooter Dan Repacholi has pushed back on plans by the Albanese government and the states to tighten gun laws, warning new rules must not be responsible for law-abiding firearms owners.
In a lengthy post on social media on Friday, Repacholi said measures that are blunt or symbolic, “or simply designed to appease public anger without improving safety” are not the answer.
The member for Hunter, Repacholi is a five-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
“Like you, I am a licensed firearms owner. I’ve gone through the same background checks, fit and proper person assessments, training, waiting periods and storage requirements as everyone else. I understand the responsibility that comes with lawful ownership, and I know that the overwhelming majority of firearms owners do the right thing.
“What happened at Bondi was horrific and should never have occurred. People are right to ask hard questions about whether it could have been prevented. From what we are learning, the focus should be on information sharing, risk identification and enforcement of existing powers, not on arbitrary limits that penalise people who have done nothing wrong.
“NSW police already have significant powers to suspend or cancel licences where someone is not fit and proper.
“While I won’t be voting on NSW laws, I will continue to ensure that the concerns raised with my office are passed on to the NSW premier and relevant state MPs, and that the voices of responsible firearms owners are part of that discussion.
“I strongly encourage you to put your concerns directly to your NSW MP and the premier.
“I continue to speak with the relevant NSW ministers, stakeholders and members of my community about these changes and will work throughout the coming days to make sure those in the NSW parliament understand the impacts these changes can have on the sport I love.”
Updated
Here’s our story on the detention of seven men in Sydney last night.
We’re hoping to have more details as soon as possible.
Mark Butler says PM open to recalling parliament
The health minister, Mark Butler, said the prime minister was “very much open” to recalling parliament to pass the “complex” laws as quickly as possible.
“We want the laws to work because, obviously, the lawyers advising these organisations have ensured that the preachers are able to get right to the legal limits of speech circumscribed by the laws that exist today,” he told ABC TV.
Jewish groups have also welcomed Labor’s announcement to establish an antisemitism education taskforce that will examine how the education system can prevent the issue taking root.
It will be led by David Gonski, a prominent businessman and member of the Jewish community who conducted a landmark review of school funding.
– AAP
Updated
The PM has announced the government will invest $42.6 million in immediate mental health supports to meet the needs of those impacted.
This package of supports includes dedicated funding to support the Jewish community, the broader Bondi community, first responders, children and young people. Targeted mental supports for the Jewish community ($14.2 million) will be made available through organisations with established links to communities nationally. A further $4.5 million will be provided to Primary Health Networks in the Sydney region and broader areas with significant Jewish communities, who’ve been impacted to provide additional psychological therapies.
Police patrol Bondi as part of Operation Shelter
Police are continuing proactive patrols at Bondi and other key locations as part of Operation Shelter.
In a statement, NSW police said after the Bondi Beach terror attack on Sunday, Operation Shelter has been strengthened, with an increase in support and resources.
Currently, the high-visibility operation includes public place patrols and proactive taskings – with assistance from officers attached to central metropolitan, south-west metropolitan and north-west metropolitan region, public order and riot squad, tactical operations unit, PolAir, traffic and highway patrol command, marine area command, rescue and bomb disposal unit and the dog squad.
The Operation Shelter commander, Assistant Commissioner Stephen Hegarty, said:
NSW police officers, tasked under Operation Shelter, have been conducting proactive patrols at key locations and working closely with locals in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and across the state.
Every Australian, no matter their race or religion, should be able to live without prejudice or discrimination.
There is no place in New South Wales for hate-related crimes or discrimination of any kind; anyone with intent to incite or cause fear, harm, or commit any criminal offence will be dealt with accordingly.
Updated
More than $5m donated across Bondi fundraisers
From AAP:
More than $5m has been donated across various fundraisers, with more than 70,000 donations from people in more than 60 countries made to verified pages for victims, GoFundMe said.
This includes $2.5m for Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, who wrestled a firearm from one of the gunmen before being shot twice in the arm.
“I deserve it?” he asked, as he was presented with the oversized cheque.
In a video posted to social media, he urged people across the world to “stand with each other, all human beings and forget everything bad … keep going to save lives”.
The Police Association of NSW has also set up appeals for two officers injured in the attack, including one who could lose his vision permanently, that have reached nearly $750,000.
More than 25,000 blood donations have been made since an appeal for help from Lifeblood after the attack.
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Sussan Ley says security agencies have insufficient funding
Sussan Ley earlier mentioned the terror threat level – it was raised from “possible” to “probable” in August 2024 and has remained there since.
Ley said security agencies have not been properly funded.
They can’t do it without the resources they need. And part of our package is actually to lift those resources. Because the threat went from possible to probable, but the resources went down.
How can we support our agencies to do the work? And how can we leave it to them to gather the intelligence that they clearly need to? Because people have been allowed into this country without being properly screened to have the values that we want them to, that we need them to have, to contribute to our community.
Updated
Fifteen patients still in hospital with Bondi shooting injuries
There are currently 15 patients receiving care in several Sydney hospitals for their injuries, NSW Health has said.
No new people were discharged overnight, but one patient has moved from critical to critical-but-stable, and one from critical-but-stable to stable.
As of 8am, Friday 19 December:
One patient is in a stable condition at Prince of Wales hospital.
One patient is in a critical but stable condition and one patient is in a stable condition at St George hospital.
Two patients are in a critical but stable condition and two patients are stable at St Vincent’s Hospital.
One patient is in a critical but stable condition and four patients are stable at Royal Prince Alfred hospital.
Three patients are in a stable condition at Royal North Shore hospital.
Updated
We have some more photos here that show the huge numbers of people who headed to Bondi this morning for the paddle-out, organised by members of the Jewish community and local surf clubs.
A recitation of Psalm 23 was held in the moment before the paddle-out.
Updated
Thousands join paddle-out in honour of Bondi victims
We have some photos from the Bondi paddle-out this morning, when surfers entered the water to pay tribute to the victims of Sunday’s Hanukah terror attack. The ABC reported thousands attended the event this morning.
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Sussan Ley says parliament should be recalled
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, is speaking to the ABC. She says parliament should be recalled urgently.
They haven’t addressed the antisemitism that has been allowed to fester, particularly on our university campuses. With respect to hate speech, it is quite simple.
Will we look at the environment that we’re in now and what happened in south-western Sydney with counter-terrorism police, car ramming, getting people out on the streets in a situation you would expect to see in an overseas war zone? That tells you the threat level is probable.
The resources given to our agencies have dropped. My message is clear, and laws can be put in place to implement this. If you preach hatred, if you preach radical Islam in a way that hurts and harms your fellow man, if you incite violence or glorify terrorism, and you are here and you are not an Australian citizen, you will be deported.
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Shadow immigration minister calls for expanding powers to strip citizenship
Scarr also called for expanding powers to strip citizenship:
We would expand the elements that would trigger that power to actually strip an Australian citizenship from a dual citizen. If you go to the relevant provisions of the act in the Citizenship Act, you’ll see a list of triggers for that power, which would be expanded so it captures hate preachers and other people who were disseminating antisemitic material, engaging in that sort of conduct in our community.
And then, secondly, it should be remembered that this applies to dual citizenship, so the assistant minister referred to people not being left stateless, and that is correct. But this would only apply where someone has a citizenship of another country as well as Australian citizenship. It wouldn’t apply to someone who would be left stateless.
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Paul Scarr says parliament should be recalled to implement antisemitism laws
The shadow minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs, Paul Scarr, is speaking on RN now, where he said parliament should be recalled to implement new antisemitism laws:
Given what happened last Sunday, given the urgency of this matter, given the calls from the Australian community, in particular from the Jewish community, I think a strong message needs to be sent that parliament is being recalled and we’re tackling these issues as an urgency.
And we do whatever we can. We do whatever we can in the immediate term and then we continue the work into the new year.
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Matt Thistlethwaite says there will be ‘no excuses’ for hate speech
The assistant minister for immigration and foreign affairs and trade, Matt Thistlethwaite, has also been on RN. He said police and security intelligence agencies need to be well funded, and called for stronger antisemitism laws.
He says:
These actions that we are taking will ensure that we have the strongest laws the country has ever had to combat antisemitism and the preaching of hate speech in our community. So there’ll be no excuses in the future.
And we’re providing our police, our security and intelligence organisations with the tools to prosecute people if they undertake these activities.
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Burke says new laws will focus on ‘hate preachers in particular’
Burke has been asked if the new laws will classify “globalise the intifada” as hate speech?
Be very clear on this. Our focus is on the hate preachers in particular, who have made comments that are completely dehumanising.
To other Australians, completely dehumanising. And people have said, how on earth is that allowed? And because they haven’t reached the link to a call for physical violence, they’ve stayed just below the threshold.
What we announced yesterday is that we will lower the threshold. But what I can’t do is play the game of this sentence will be in, this sentence will be out, these words will be in, these words will be out. We will be lowering the threshold to the extent that constitutionally we are able to, and it will be.
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Tony Burke says fight against antisemitism ‘will never end’
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has been speaking on Radio National.
He said no government would ever be able to say they have done enough on antisemitism:
The fight against antisemitism is an ancient fight that will never end and there will never be a point, never be a point where any government of the day will have the right to say they have done enough on antisemitism.
He goes back to 2014, when then Abbott government minister George Brandis moved to change the hate speech laws, saying Australians had the right to be a bigot.
Burke said:
We are no longer the nation where we had the government of the day a decade ago claiming that the right that mattered was the right to be a bigot. The right that matters is the right for people to be able to be free, to have a celebration at the beach and to do so safely.
That’s the freedom that matters, not the freedom that somehow under freedom of speech you can go off and belittle and demean and dehumanise your fellow Australians.
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Surfers pay tribute to victims of Bondi attack
About 700 surfers have been out on the water this morning in Bondi, forming a massive circle to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi attack.
Their cheers could be heard from the shore.
The community has been organising swimming tributes this week to mourn the victims and begin to reclaim the beach.
Updated
Morning everyone, this is Cait Kelly. I will be with you today, bringing you all the updates.
Updated
Daniel Mookhey’s comments come after the Albanese government mapped out a plan to crack down on hate speech.
The five key points are:
A new aggravated hate speech offence for preachers and leaders who promote violence.
Increased penalties for hate speech promoting violence.
Making “hate” an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment.
Developing a regime for listing organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech promoting violence or racial hatred.
Developing a federal offence for serious vilification based on race and/or advocating racial supremacy.
Read our explainer here:
Islamic State calls Bondi terrorism attack a ‘source of pride’
Islamic State has published an article on the Bondi Jewish festival shooting calling it a “source of pride”, Reuters reports.
The article published on the group’s Telegram channel praised the attack without explicitly claiming responsibility for it, the wire service said.
Jihadist media specialist Mina al-Lami, from BBC Monitoring, wrote on X about the article:
The group appeared to take credit for inspiring the attack, rather than for directly orchestrating it or being in contact with the attackers. It referred to the attackers as ‘heroes’ and ‘lions’.
It boasted about the influence of its ideology, narratives and online messaging, claiming that governments are unable to control its reach unless they shut down the internet entirely.
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NSW treasurer: Palestinian resistance phrase should be considered hate speech
The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says the Palestinian resistance phrase “globalise the intifada” should be considered hate speech as governments consider tougher laws on what can be said in public.
Mookhey was responding to questions at a press conference yesterday that came after British police announced this week they would arrest anyone chanting the phrase or holding a placard saying it.
Intifada means uprising or resistance, and is the term used by Palestinians for uprisings against Israel. The first intifada started in 1987, the second in 2000. For Palestinians it means resistance against oppression, but some Israelis associate the term with violence against them.
At the press conference yesterday, Mookhey responded to the question:
I think anyone who is saying something like ‘globalise the intifada’ is committing hate speech. I think that it’s clear, as we’ve seen, that the prime minister has just announced some reforms in these areas, but I personally think that any reasonable person would just see what the consequences of that has been on Sunday night. I think a person who is chanting globalise the intifada is chanting hate speech. They are dividing the community. They are jeopardising community cohesion. I don’t think that there’s a place for that in peaceful protest.
It is worth noting that, on Wednesday, the Victorian police commissioner, Mike Bush, said that since anti-vilification laws passed Victorian parliament earlier this year, there had been 40 investigations into hate speech but “globalise the intifada” was not considered hate speech under those laws.
Leading campaigners for Palestine in the UK called the crackdown on the phrase “political repression of protest for Palestinian rights”, while some Jewish groups welcomed it, saying the phrase was “intolerable” and “violent incitement”.
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Updated
Welcome
Morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before the morning blogger takes over.
The New South Wales treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, told a press conference yesterday that the Palestinian resistance phrase “globalise the intifada” should be considered hate speech as governments consider tougher laws on what can be said in public. More coming up.
Police in Sydney detained seven men yesterday evening after an operation in Liverpool which was prompted by what police called “information received that a violent act was possibly being planned”. We’ll have more updates as they come in this morning.
And Islamic State has published an article about the Bondi attack overnight, calling it a “source of pride” but stopping short of claiming responsibility. More on that soon as well.
