Energy Minister Chris Bowen has defended fellow Labor frontbencher Penny Wong after Liberal MPs criticised the response of the government to the Bondi terror attack on Dec. 14.
Fifteen people were allegedly murdered when alleged father-and-son killers Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on a Jewish Hannukah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
But criticism was soon levelled at Senator Wong, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley saying the Australian foreign minister had not “shed a single tear.”
What the Opposition has Said
Wong had made posts condemning the attack but has yet to visit the actual site—along with Treasurer Jim Chalmers—and was not documented visiting the Sydney Jewish community.“I haven’t seen Penny Wong on the streets of Bondi,” Ley said on Dec. 22. “I haven’t seen Penny Wong at the vigil for 15 innocent murdered Australians.
“I didn’t see Penny Wong at Bondi last night at the eighth night of Hanukkah. I didn’t see Penny Wong attend a single funeral. I haven’t seen Penny Wong shed a single tear.”
Liberal MP Michaelia Cash also condemned Wong on Dec. 23, reacting to a social media post she made showing she signed a condolence book for victims of the Bondi massacre.
“Labor’s pattern has been excuses and appeasement while Jew hate festered and grew in this country.
“Australia must eradicate Jew-hate and Senator Wong must be honest about Islamic fundamentalism that has fuelled radicalisation and violence.”
What Wong has Said
Senator Wong has made a number of posts about the Bondi terror attack.On Dec. 22, Wong signed the condolence book at Parliament House for the Bondi victims.
“My deepest sympathy is with the families and loved ones who are grieving,” she said. “We stand with them and in solidarity with the Australian Jewish community.”
“ISIS is a radical, extremist organisation which has caused immense suffering worldwide, including the ISIS-inspired anti-Semitic terror attack at Bondi,” she said.
“We must all stand together to reject its violent ideology.”
Bowen Defends Wong, Describes ISIS Ideology
On Dec. 23, Bowen hit back against criticisms of his Labor colleague, saying Ley was not the “arbiter of grief and mourning.”“(Ley) does not get to decide how people express that mourning and that grief,” he told ABC Radio National.
“And I thought, as I said, it said more about Sussan Ley than it does about Penny Wong.
“Sussan Ley, I think, needs to reflect on her behaviour yesterday. It was pretty disgusting. And I think it shows that she is choosing to make political points out of an issue.”
Bowen also praised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s conduct as he described the challenges faced by dealing with radical ideologies.
“We’ve got a government which is dealing with this crisis, we’ve got a prime minister who is a very empathetic man who has been spending time privately with victims and dealing with this crisis and also with in a role in a national security meetings ... as well as supporting victims and their families,” he said.
“I think the prime minister has reflected no government is perfect, no person is perfect and he’s indicated that where more can be done it will be done and he’s dealing with the biggest terrorist attack on Australian soil in Australian history.
“Let me be very clear ... there are two people responsible for this attack. One is dead, and one is under arrest.”
Bowen also called the Liberal Opposition’s criticism of the prime minister’s actions a “diversion.”
“Countries around the world, governments around the world, have to deal with terrorism,” he said.
“Now ISIS does not believe in the existence of any nation state—whether it be Israel or Palestine or Australia—they believe in a caliphate. That is not a rational approach and we are not dealing with rational people when we’re dealing with ISIS prescribed terrorism.”
