Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On 15 December last year, as Australians were going about their normal activities in the busy period leading up to Christmas, truly horrendous events occurred in the heart of the commercial centre of our largest city. The actions of a lone gunman—taking hostages, 10 customers and eight employees, in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place, Sydney—and the aftermath horrified and shocked all Australians. After a tense, heart-wrenching 16-hour stand off and the heroic work of New South Wales and federal police and emergency service officers, the siege ended. As the siege ended, two of our fellow Australians—two innocent people, both of whom had left to go about a normal day's business and work that morning—did not return home later that day. One employee of the cafe and one customer lost their lives, three hostages and one police officer were wounded, and the lone gunman, who perpetrated this evil, was himself dead.

As our Prime Minister said when the siege was unfolding, Australia is a peaceful, open, and generous society. He urged Australians to respond in that way and not to allow the actions of this man to affect their daily lives. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr Mike Baird, similarly said that Sydney would be tested and that the test would be whether we are the strong, democratic and civil society that we all strive for Australia to be. The test of the nature of our society was met. Australians from all walks of life responded strongly, not to be deflected from their daily lives by this sort of unthinkable atrocity. The actions of the perpetrator were rightly condemned by the Grand Mufti of Australia. Fifty Muslim organisations signed a joint statement condemning the perpetrator's actions and repudiating them as having no legitimacy in their faith.

Today we reflect on the victims of this senseless act. Katrina Dawson, aged 38, a highly-respected barrister developing her career, had been having a morning coffee with a friend. She, of course, will never return to her loving husband and children. Tori Johnson, aged 34, the manager of the Lindt cafe, by all accounts worked to keep the spirits of the hostages up during those awful hours. To the devastation of his family and wider circle of friends, he too lost his life. The public reaction, first with a few floral tributes and suddenly growing into a massive field of flowers, was seen across the television screens and newspapers not only of Australia but right around the world. Prominent Australians, the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the Premier and the opposition leader, all laid flowers. The families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson bravely laid their own tributes as well. Most poignant was the outpouring of stoic grief and shock from Australians from all walks of life. Whatever their age, beliefs, ethnic background or any other characteristic, thousands and thousands went to Martin Place to silently place their flowers. By this simple action, each of them was silently saying: 'We do not bow to terrorism. We do not bow to actions like this. We are a strong and cohesive society and we share values of tolerance and liberty, but hatred, revenge and religious extremes have no place in our Australia.'

On behalf of government senators, I express deep sympathy to the families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, and our good wishes to all the other hostages involved, all of whom experienced a horrible ordeal. Our thoughts are also of course with those that were injured, both physically and emotionally. I express unqualified admiration to the professional police and emergency service officers, including ambulance officers and paramedics, for how they responded to the siege. It is unimaginable to think how any one of us would have responded and the pressure that these emergency service personnel were under; it is something that I personally salute and thank them for.

I congratulate the Dawson family on their exceptionally selfless action in the days after Katrina's death, announcing the establishment of the Katrina Dawson Foundation to support the education of women, and also the Baird government for their decision to establish a permanent memorial at Martin Place, using the flowers placed there as the basis of a garden of remembrance.

15 December 2014 was a day that turned into one that changed the lives of many, and today the Senate reflects on them and honours the memory of the two innocent lives taken at Martin Place and those lives that will continue to bear the scars. But we have no doubt that the Australian spirit of tolerance, civil society and democracy will prevail, because it must. I thank the Senate.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to join with the Leader of the Government in the Senate in expressing the opposition's deep concern, support and sympathy for those caught up in the Martin Place siege. We grieve for those who lost their lives. We extend our thoughts to those who were traumatised and injured, to their families and to their friends, and to the police and other law enforcement and emergency service personnel who responded to the siege with professionalism and courage.

We all know that, on the morning of 15 December last year, a gunman walked into the Lindt cafe in Martin Place, Sydney. This is a place many Australians know well, in the heart of Sydney's financial, commercial and legal district. The gunman took staff and customers of the cafe hostage and held them against their will. Our nation waited and hoped and prayed. This violent act ended shockingly in the small hours of the morning of 16 December, and we know that Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson both lost their lives.

Tori Johnson was a young man of enormous promise—engaging, intelligent, generous and thoughtful, a loving son, brother and partner. It is clear that during those terrible hours in the Lindt cafe he displayed great courage, integrity and loyalty to his staff and customers. Katrina Dawson was a remarkable young woman, a talented barrister, well respected by her colleagues for her skills and her commitment to her profession. She was tremendously gifted academically yet willing to act as a role model and mentor to others, and of course she was a loving partner and a devoted mother to three children.

To the families and loved ones, to the friends and colleagues of Tori and Katrina, the opposition express our profound sympathy. Your loss is unimaginable, agonising and heartbreaking. We want you to know we are thinking of you. Several hostages and a police officer were injured in the siege, and for all of those this must have been a terrible ordeal and one that must continue to cause anxiety, grief and despair.

This siege gripped the nation as it unfolded, but for those who were directly involved it has had an enormous personal cost and it will continue to take its toll into the future. Words are never enough in a time of such grief and in the face of such loss. What we can say is we are thinking of you, and the compassion and empathy of millions of Australians are yours.

A coronial inquest into the Martin Place siege has commenced and a joint New South Wales-Commonwealth review has been conducted. When they are finalised, these inquiries will provide more information of what happened in the cafe, why it happened and suggest lessons to be learned. But what we can say is that this violent attack was completely at odds with the values of the Australian community. This violent attack was also completely at odds with the values of the peaceful religion of Islam.

With such a terrible event, it is important that we never lose sight of who we are and what we stand for. It was moving to see how Australians responded to the Martin Place siege. As the event was unfolding, the people of Sydney were patient, calm and supportive of the efforts of police and law enforcement agencies. In the days and weeks after the siege, Australians expressed sympathy and solidarity with the victims. They covered Martin Place with flowers, a field of flowers. They attended commemorative services and they paid their respects in many forums. Across our great and diverse nation, Australians rejected appeals to hatred and to hostility and displayed instead tolerance and good sense.

We can never respond to irrationalism with irrationalism, and we can never fight intolerance with intolerance. The siege at Martin Place was an assault on Australian values, but those values have held strong in the aftermath of the siege. The values that Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson embodied as individuals, the values that led so many to express their sympathy by laying flowers at Martin Place, and the values that led so many to offer, 'I'll ride with you'—these are the values that continue to bind us together as an Australian community.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise today to join the Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in extending the sympathy of the Australian Greens to the friends and families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, who were killed in a horrendous criminal act carried out by a violent man with a criminal record.

Katrina Dawson was an outstanding young barrister. She had a great deal more to give to the community as a barrister, as a mother, as a person who cared for the community. We especially thank her husband, Paul Smith, and her three children, Oliver, Chloe and Sasha, for the generosity they have shown as they have come to terms with the most horrendous thing that could have happened to them—losing Katrina. Tori Johnson's partner Thomas Zinn and Tori Johnson's family are also suffering, and we are thinking of them. We send our support to the 16 other people who were victims of the siege, and also to the police officers and emergency personnel who were involved.

This is not something that anyone can come to terms with lightly or quickly. Those who have been hurt physically and mentally—anyone who witnessed what happened or intervened to try to prevent it from happening or from becoming worse—have our support, because for them it is not over. Throughout the coronial inquiry and throughout all the inquiries that go on they will be asked to relive those moments as they intervened or witnessed what happened, and they need to know that they have the support of the Australian parliament as well as the Australian community.

I was in Peru in South America when news of how the siege rolled out and then the aftermath was reported. I can tell you that it was extraordinary to watch something like this from afar and to see the reaction: Martin Place carpeted with flowers and expressions of peace, support and solidarity. That was such a great message for Australia to be sending to the rest of the world. We suffered a major jolt as a nation when something of that calibre of violence occurred in the heart of Sydney, but our response was to come together to reject violence. And that coming together to reject violence was the message we sent out to the rest of the world. It is a reminder that at heart we are a nation that values peace, community and social cohesion. We value and enjoy diversity and difference, and that was on show. And then, as certain people in the community felt fearful about what might occur, out came that wonderful outpouring of support with the 'illridewithyou' hashtag. It really demonstrates that what was a wake-up call for the nation was answered with the right response from the nation—not to marginalise, but to reach out; to redouble our efforts to reject messages of hate, fear, disrespect and violence, and instead to value those things which bring us all together as human beings, as a community and as Australian people.

Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson were 38 years old and 34 years old respectively. They will not be forgotten by their families or their community, and I, too, join with everyone supporting the Katrina Dawson Foundation. How wonderful that this foundation will stand to raise money for women's educational opportunities. I wish everyone involved in trying to come to terms with the aftermath our support, love and encouragement.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to join with other senators in making a contribution this morning. On behalf of the Nationals I would like to express our sincere condolences to the families of Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson. Our thoughts are with all survivors. I want to commend police and law enforcement agencies on their actions to resolve this situation and I sincerely thank the outstanding emergency service personnel. Their professionalism and commitment was exceptional in what was an unprecedented and challenging time.

The overwhelming support and compassion that was shown by the whole nation was inspirational. The floral tribute in Martin Place—a wave of colourful flowers—represented the outpouring of support for the victims of this dreadful situation. The event is another example of the deep sense of solidarity that Australians have in their nature to openly support one another in a time of need.

Australia is a peaceful country; a country so very shocked at the events of that day. We are united in our sorrow that such a tragic event could have taken place and are united in our support for the families of Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson and all of the survivors. On behalf of the Nationals I express our deepest sympathies.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I would like to take this opportunity to add my voice to the sentiments expressed in this chamber and in the other place today to support the fine words of Senators Abetz, Wong, Milne and Nash to the victims of the siege and to the families and friends of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson. We can only begin to imagine your grief, but I hope that in some small way the knowledge that so many people in Australia and around the world stand with you offers some support and comfort through these dark times. The support for the survivors and for the police is also unambiguous and unwavering.

The siege at Martin Place was an attempt to strike at the heart of our society and to sow fear in the hope that it would reap hate. It failed abysmally. Instead, Australians of all backgrounds and beliefs came together to turn against this act of hatred and terror. Where the gunman's goal had been to create division, there came unity. And where he sought to create fear and animosity, there grew a field of flowers. There will be an opportunity to examine the events of that awful day—what led up to it and whether it was in any way avoidable—but now is not the time to discuss those matters. Instead, we should reflect on the lives lost and those lives that have been irrevocably changed, and on what this tragic event means for us as Australians standing together.

For me this cannot be put better than in the words of the writer and broadcaster Waleed Aly, who wrote these raw passages in the hours following the siege. He said:

…Islam has such permeable borders, such an absence of hierarchy, that anyone can become anything in their own mind. Its symbols are available to anyone who wants to claim them and there is nothing anyone can do to stop them. Australian Muslims had been disowning Monis for at least seven years. They'd even expressed their concerns to the authorities. But how can you stop the 'fake sheikh' being real to himself? There's no control order regime to account for this. There's no metadata inside an apparently deranged mind. We're busy fretting about the terrorists' tools of the future—which is all fair enough—while they wreak havoc with the tools of the past.

Waleed Aly concluded:

But there's another history to be written here. One that is very much in control. It's a history written not just in the statements of leaders, but in the minutiae of our everyday interactions. It's the history we glimpsed as the siege unfolded when a single, humble Australian decided to declare #illridewithyou in solidarity with Muslims too scared to ride public transport. It's a history that commenced with the interfaith vigil held at the Lakemba and Auburn mosques. And it's a history to be determined by what we decide this tragedy symbolises: the sordid ideology of a man who deserves to be forgotten or the greatest virtues of those of us left behind.

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I fully endorse the comments of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Abetz. I offer my condolences to the victims as well, but I also want to encourage changes to produce better outcomes when—and I say 'when'—something similar happens in the future.

Australians have a legal right to self-defence. What they do not have is a practical ability to exercise that right. That needs to change. Those trapped within the Lindt cafe were left helpless, as the carrying of items for self-defence is not allowed under state law—and, what is worse, the offender possibly knew it. These items include non-lethal options such as pepper sprays, mace, clubs and personal tasers. For those who are unable to flee, who are insufficiently strong or who have no improvised weapon to hand, there is no option but to rely on the police and, as the saying goes: when seconds count, the police are minutes away.

Self-defence is not a realistic option for most people, and it is especially not an option for the majority of women, the elderly and the disabled. This is not an argument for everyone to have a gun, as some people simplistically suggest. But what if amongst the hostages there had been a plain-clothes police officer or security guard carrying a pistol? If it is acknowledged that a police officer or someone similar may have been able to save lives, how can it be argued that any good guy who is trained to use guns could not have done the same?

Australia's ban on practical self-defence sets it apart from most other countries. Almost no other country prohibits non-lethal means of self-defence, and many permit ownership of firearms when there is a serious prospect of harm. There are perennial claims that resistance to violence is futile and that items of self-defence are routinely used against those using them. Any woman who has fought off a would-be rapist—and there are many —knows this to be untrue. Mythologising about firearms is a feature of Australian public debate Many seriously believe the solution to any crime involving a gun is more gun laws, and yet the offender in the Lindt cafe did not have a gun licence and, in any case, the sawn-off shotgun he was using was illegal.

I believe Australians agree that a battered wife dealing with a murderous ex-husband, a jeweller transporting valuable cargo and competent people who are well trained in the use of firearms, whether sworn police officers or just good guys, should be able to protect themselves and others if the need arises. I am certain that an overwhelming majority would unequivocally demand the right to practical self-defence, at least by using non-lethal means. It is time to stop pretending that the government can always protect us from events such as the Lindt cafe siege. Lives can be saved by allowing citizens to protect themselves.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate party leaders and senators for their contributions to this statement. It is very well that the Senate does this and recognises the same as the House of Representatives did earlier today.