In the wake of Sunday’s antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi, the NSW Nationals, alongside our Coalition partners, agreed to work in good faith with the Minns Labor Government on a bipartisan solution.
Since then, despite multiple requests, we have received no information from the government on their proposed legislation which we are due to consider when Parliament is recalled on Monday morning.
All we have heard from the government is thought-bubbles at press conferences which are forming the basis for complex policy decisions – decisions that have the potential to disproportionally impact people across regional NSW because of the actions of terrorists.
All week the government has spoken about shining a light, while keeping the Opposition and key regional stakeholders in the dark.
We are still waiting for the government to provide details of their legislative changes, which will be rushed through Parliament next week, with little time afforded to us to consider these new laws in proper detail. That is not how bipartisanship works.
The NSW Opposition stands ready to reintroduce legislation designed to strengthen community safety, protect social cohesion, and reinforce public confidence in the rule of law. This legislation was previously blocked by the Minns government.
Furthermore, we cannot allow government-led debate about changing firearm laws to distract from the motivation behind this terror attack – antisemitism.
We can’t protect people if we don’t address the root cause of terrorism in our community.
As Archbishop Anthony Fisher said at a public memorial for the victims this week:
“For two years now, week after week, demonstrations have taken place here in Hyde Park, within earshot of The Great Synagogue, where inflammatory messages were articulated unchecked.”
NSW is expecting more from us as a Parliament, and we implore the government to do what is right.
