Topics: Bondi terror attack

 

E&OE

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

Well, we're broadcasting live from the site where the terror attack took place, and joining me now is Shadow Minister for Defence, Angus Taylor. Angus, good to see you. Now, as we've been standing here, you know, reporting tonight, there's been the most beautiful singing, Waltzing Matilda, chants of Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi! Aussie legend, Nova Peris, has given a speech, she broke down in tears, as she did so. The atmosphere here is incredible, isn't it?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Absolutely incredible, Sharri. Can I say what a privilege it is to be here, for me, at this beautiful, beautiful vigil under such dramatic circumstances, tragic circumstances, of course. But you can't help be captivated by the energy and love of the crowd.

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

And, I mean, look at the size of this floral tribute. I've been here every single day since the night of the terror attack and it started off as a small bouquet, you know, bunch of flowers, and it's just grown. It's taken up, look at that. I mean, thousands and thousands of Australians from all walks of life, all religions have come here.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Yeah, absolutely right. I mean, coming in here to Bondi today, it was incredible. Just the number of people paying their respects to what has been a dreadful, dreadful set of circumstances, but the community is coming together, and that's when Australia is at its best.

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

I want to get to the Prime Minister's press conference today. He was urged to act on antisemitism. He finally did that today, not on gun laws. He had a press conference on antisemitism. What did you make of the measures he announced?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, we welcome them, but frankly, they're too little, too late, Sharri. Too late, because we saw the warning signs on this from October 7, two days later, we saw the chanting on the steps of the Opera House and the graffiti and the intimidation and the harassment and the firebombing, and still we didn't see the action we needed. And too little, because we know that the threat rating was raised in the middle of last year. There's been no extra resources put into counter terrorism in this country during that time, and we were not prepared. That's the reality.

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

Josh Frydenberg here yesterday said he felt the Prime Minister was personally responsible for this attack. Do you agree with that?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, I think he is responsible. I mean, I think we all need to reflect on what we could have done more to avoid this, but the Prime Minister in particular, has the most ability, the greatest ability, to prevent something like this and what is very clear is there was a failure of leadership. That is absolutely clear for the reasons I've just said about the warning signs we saw.

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

Do you think more needs to be done on the issue of Islamic radicalisation?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Absolutely. I mean, that is the root cause of the problem here, this absolutely extreme, cancerous religious and ideological extremism, which is not just in Australia, but around the world. It is a rot, and that's what caused this. It absolutely needs to be weeded out. We do not want it in this country, and we have to do everything we possibly can to get rid of it.

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

I want to ask you about the question Josh Frydenberg was asked on the ABC last night. I don't know if we need to play it again. Everyone's probably seen it by now. Frydenberg was asked whether he gave that speech yesterday because he wanted to get back into politics. He reacted in a very emotional way, because this is an issue that's clearly extremely important to him as it is, well it should be to all Australians, not just Jewish Australians. What did you think of the question the 7.30 host asked him?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, she asked him whether it was politically motivated. Well, he was motivated by his community and by his country, and they are the right motivations, and I thought it was a superb speech. I thought he said exactly what needed to be said, and the truth is, the ABC gets a billion dollars a year of funding, it doesn't need to ask questions like that. It is absolutely ridiculous that she would ask that sort of question.

 

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

Right, Angus Taylor, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you being here as well.

 

 

ENDS.