Karl Stefanovic, host: The despair and heartbreak of the Bondi massacre was laid bare yesterday with the funerals of three slain victims. But at the service it was the absence of the Prime Minister that shed plenty on how the community feels about him. Right now, joining us to discuss today's headlines is Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie and Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite. Good morning, guys. Nice to see you. Look, Matt, you first up, the PM wasn't invited, he's not welcome. There can be no clearer message that the Jewish community has broken right now.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: G'day, Karl. The PM obviously said that he is willing to attend any of the funerals but respects the wishes of the families. Funerals are deeply personal things and will of course respect their wishes. Today the funeral of young Matilda, the 10-year-old student that was unfortunately and needlessly killed and murdered on the weekend, will take place. She was a student at one of the public schools from my electorate and I will attend that funeral. I was at the school on Tuesday consoling the students and the teachers, there will be another memorial service at the school tomorrow. Peter ‘Marzo’ Meagher from the Randwick Rugby Club, deeply beloved in our community, he was killed on Sunday. I attended a vigil with members of the Randwick Rugby Community on Monday at Coogee Oval where we came together to remember him. And there'll be further funerals, but they're deeply personal affairs and we'll respect the wishes of the families.
Stefanovic: There were a bunch of other dignitaries there yesterday and I will say this to you, I'm very sorry for what you're going through in your local electorate. That is very, very tough. But it is a sign also that the PM is not welcome, that they have had enough, that he hasn't done enough and they're over him?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, we certainly respect the wishes of the families. I understand that the Jewish community is hurting at the moment and they're grieving and I want them to know that we're here to support them. I grew up in Maroubra, a couple of hundred metres from the local synagogue. Our neighbours were Jewish as kids, I went to a Jewish preschool, I was one of a few non-Jewish students. I've been very close to the Jewish community all my life. And I'm working as hard as I possibly can to support that community in our area at the moment, they're grieving, they're hurting, and we're here for them.
Stefanovic: Okay, well said. Bridget, let's talk about the PM, though. I mean, it's not a great idea to show up. You just can't show up to a funeral not invited. So, there are other dignitaries, I think you're at one yesterday, there is a deep feeling against him right now.
Bridget McKenzie, Senator for Victoria: Well, we've seen the Jewish communities have seen an explosion of antisemitism over the last two years under the Prime Minister's watch. And his lack of action on a range of fronts, despite being warned by the community that this tragic outcome of a terrorist, Islamic terrorist act in our suburbs on iconic Bondi Beach would be an outcome. I attended Rabbi Schlanger's funeral yesterday. I wasn't invited. I think it is a sign of respect to show up and stand up. And the Prime Minister's refusal to do that says more about him as a leader, I think, than anything else. Karl, Matt is demonstrating so much leadership in his own community --
Stefanovic: I get that.
McKenzie: That the Prime Minister as leader of our country is refusing to do. To my knowledge, there's reports in the papers today that he has not visited victims fighting for their lives in the hospital whilst he's, you know, visited emergency service responders. He's visited Ahmed, the hero of the situation. The reports are that he's failed to visit the victims fighting for their lives. So, that says that this guy --
Stefanovic: I don't know if that's entirely true --
McKenzie: Well, that's one of the reports --
Stefanovic: He has certainly visited Ahmed Al Ahmed. And look, I don't know who else he's visited, to be honest with you, but he's. He certainly visited Ahmed Al Ahmed.
McKenzie: But you know what he hasn't done, Karl? He hasn't shut down the factories of hate that are spewing Jew hate now.
Stefanovic: We'll get onto that now. But Matt, do you, does he accept any responsibility for the rise of antisemitism? I mean, you live it, you breathe it, you see it, you hear it. And they're blaming him.
Assistant Minister: Karl, I've known the Prime Minister for 30 years. He's a man that's always stood up against racism, particularly antisemitism. He abhors that sort of thing. He despises it. And he's worked hard, try and create national unity and to call on all Australians to show respect for each other. In the wake of October 7, the Prime Minister led a moving tribute in the Parliament --
McKenzie: Oh, Matt, everyone is sick of the words --
Assistant Minister: That called out antisemitism and put in place measures to combat antisemitism and we will continue to do that.
Stefanovic: Alright, Matt, the point is the governments can act very quickly in the public interest when they need to. So, quickly, I mean, in the last couple of weeks you've stopped under 16s accessing social media. Before you throw everything you possibly can at antisemitism, is it just not politically convenient for you?
Assistant Minister: No, that's not the case at all. We've strengthened laws to combat antisemitism. We've got the strongest laws the country has now ever seen to combat anti Semitism, including strengthening hate speech laws. We've made sure who's been prosecuted under arrest behaviours. We're running through, we're running through, there's been a --
Stefanovic: This is the same thing you've said, this is the same thing you've said now for a couple of days. I do want to get onto these pro-Palestinian groups who are saying that they still have the right to protest no matter how the laws are tightened. So, Matt, is that okay with you, for pro Palestinians to protest now?
Assistant Minister: Well, I agree with the Premier. I think we need a summer of calm. I think that these protests have got to stop and we've got to allow the Jewish community in particular to mourn and to heal. So, the leaders of these groups, I think, need to show some respect. And it's got to stop. We've got to give the Jewish community the respect that they deserve.
Stefanovic: Okay, it's a good start. Bridget, I wanted to talk to you about this hero cop as well, Cesar Barraza, he's the officer believed to have stopped the shooters this shot with a Glock. There he is right there from 100 metres. I mean, you know how difficult that is. But the courage they showed in lining them up, right?
McKenzie: Yeah, absolutely. Carl, when you pull the Glock out, you want to make sure you get it right. And he was a magnificent shot and downed this shooter. That was, you know, carnage right throughout Bondi Beach. Karl, when we talk about the protests on Sydney Harbour Bridge, the courts let our Jewish community down by allowing that Sydney Harbour Bridge protest to go across the globe. We now know that our most three iconic sites have been used in a global Islamic terrorist PR campaign. We had the Opera House celebrating October 7, the Sydney Harbour Bridge where people were marching with terrorist sympathisers. And then Bondi Beach in a mass terrorist attack. And the Prime Minister has not acted enough to shut down these factories of hate that are in our suburbs to deport the perpetrators. And, Matt, you can use all the weasel words you like, but not just Jewish Australians are angry, Australians are angry at this Prime Minister's inaction.
Stefanovic: We've got to run. Look, we're calling for the summer of calm. Let's hope it goes beyond that. Appreciate your time today, guys.