Question Time AU

General Debate

Social Cohesion

House of Representatives · Tuesday 3 February 2026

Official Hansard for this day (APH) · Read this debate on OpenAustralia

At a glance

Ed Husic called for a royal commission into the December 14 terror attack in Bondi to ensure lessons were learned and national healing occurred. He contrasted the current political rhetoric with the response to the Christchurch attacks, arguing that singling out one faith group for scrutiny was divisive and inconsistent with previous government stances on unity. Husic criticised the opposition for focusing exclusively on Islamist extremism while ignoring the threat of right-wing extremism, citing past ASIO warnings and government terminology changes. He opposed proposals to accredit imams, describing them as discriminatory and reminiscent of historical persecution, and urged parliamentarians to foster social cohesion rather than scapegoating communities.

Summary in reported speech - not a transcript. AI-generated, so check the official record before quoting.

How the debate unfolded

Opened the debate

Ed Husic (Chifley) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

Husic argued that a royal commission was necessary to understand the causes of the Bondi attack and to facilitate national healing. Husic stated that extremism must be confronted regardless of its origin, citing the 2019 Christchurch attack and subsequent global incidents as evidence of the spread of hate. Husic criticised the opposition for repeatedly linking radicalism to Islam while ignoring right-wing extremist threats previously identified by ASIO. Husic opposed the idea of accrediting imams, arguing that requiring one faith group to prove loyalty was divisive and discriminatory. Husic urged parliamentarians to adopt a unified approach that rejects blame and contempt, similar to the response seen in New Zealand after Christchurch.