CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL, HOST: We've got the Prime Minister live on the now. Welcome to the show, Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning.
O’CONNELL: Thank you very much for joining us. I, first of all, I thought it'd be really nice if you could offer a message to us who are still very shook up from the events on Sunday. What words of hope and support can you offer us right now, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia will come through this. We are a brave country and this is the darkest of times for an antisemitic terrorist attack to occur on a Chanukah celebration. Chanukah celebrates the festival of light, the victory of light over darkness. And we will come through this. We'll come through it together with national unity. And my heart goes out to the community today and every day. But today particularly will be a difficult day with the first funerals underway.
O’CONNELL: And how do we stick together right now as a community? Already you're seeing these incredible scenes of people queuing for hours to donate blood. People want to help, people want to support each other. We want to feel closer to each other right now, don't we?
PRIME MINISTER: We do. And last night the Governor-General hosted an event at Admiralty House and there was lots of hugging and just warm embraces with leaders of the Jewish community, with people across the political spectrum who came together last night. And it is a difficult period, but Australians are reaching out. Australians are lighting candles in their front windows as a symbol of Chanukah and as a symbol of the victory of light. Australians are queuing in their tens of thousands to donate blood in order to assist people. And I think people are engaging with each other about the values that matter. What terrorists seek to do is to pit Australian against Australian and promote division in the world. And this is an ISIS inspired attack that cannot be allowed to succeed. And the way that we hurt that attack is by uniting, is coming together as Australians and providing support, particularly for the Jewish community at this difficult time.
O’CONNELL: When you talk about the darkness and the light and the meaning for Chanukah as well, the real light that also came on Sunday was the incredible - I don't think any of us have seen anything like it - and the man of the, of the moment, Australian of the Year, Ahmed. And I think you actually went and saw him and visited him. How is he? Everyone wants to know how is he?
PRIME MINISTER: I did see him yesterday in hospital. He's being operated on today. It's quite an extensive operation. He had some substantial wounds, but was in a very upbeat mood. He's a very humble man. His parents are visiting him at the moment, and they were very proud, quite rightly, of their son.
O’CONNELL: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: This is someone who ran towards danger, put himself at risk. And we know that there were a number of heroes as well on Sunday. He, Ahmed, is someone who, I think shows the best of the Australian character. He didn't think of himself, he thought of others. And as a direct result of his intervention, lives were saved.
O’CONNELL: Yeah. It's an incredible, incredible story. And you're right, he embodies the best of us. That's Australia. That's Australian values, isn't it?
PRIME MINISTER: Certainly is. And this is someone who was with friends, heading down to Bondi Beach on a Sunday afternoon to get a cup of coffee, was what he wanted to do. He came across the festival that was taking place, and someone invited him to join. It was a very open celebration of joy. And so, he was aware that of the festival taking place and then shots started to ring out, and Mr Al Ahmed intervened in a way that made an enormous difference.
O’CONNELL: Yeah. And if you must be aware of this GoFundMe page, I think it's up to $2.5 million dollars, not just from Australians wanting to support him, but all over the world.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, he's got a small business that is currently not able to operate because he's in hospital, and that will certainly help. But indeed, not just Ahmed, but people who lost their lives, there are heroic stories. In today's news, Boris and Sofia Gurman, a married couple in their 60's who tried to take down one of the gunmen right at the very beginning of the attack, before they were murdered. Reuven Morrison, he threw bricks at the gunman heading towards danger before he was murdered. These are heroes and I think at a time when you look at the events of Sunday with shock and horror, this is of some comfort about what the true Australian character is.
O’CONNELL: Yeah, beautifully said. And I think a lot of people listening right now as well. Prime Minister, is there is obviously a need for unity as well, but are there gaps in the gun laws? When you're in a situation where a guy living in the inner suburbs has a, what does he need a licence for to have six guns? Are there gaps in the laws that need to change?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, clearly, in my view, there is a need for tightening. These gun laws were introduced, of course, in 1996, in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre. If we need to do anything to tighten them up, state and territory governments, I brought together in order to make sure we do just that.
O’CONNELL: Great, that's good to hear that, actually. And I think a lot of people as well, you know, this time of year, obviously Chanukah is still going on. There are going to be festivals, they're going to be public gatherings. It's summertime, summer holidays are coming up soon. You know, I'm looking out over the Harbour Bridge, you know, and I'm thinking about the fireworks on New Year's Eve. Can people feel safe gathering in public?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we need to make sure that fear doesn't win here and that people continue to conduct their lives and express their sense of community. There is an increasingly dangerous world that we live in, tragically, but we can't allow fear to win. That's what, that's what the terrorists seek. And, you know, the actions of Australians, I don't think will be cowered by what has occurred. You know, these people are evil. They were cowards and their actions were an atrocity.
O’CONNELL: Thank you very much for speaking us today. I can tell that actually, you know, in a job like yours, you deal with so many situations, difficult situations, horrific situations. But I get the feeling talking you today, Prime Minister, even you're struggling with this. And also the stuff that you would have been across the last couple of days, it must be heavy for you as well, on a personal level. And I know you're stoic and I thought you spoke very, very well Monday. And this is a time for leaders in all shapes and forms to step up. Not just elected ones like yourself, but in the community as well, for us all to step up and be leaders as well. But this must be hard for you as the Prime Minister, this country, to just be, yeah, to be around for it this week and through it all.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, thanks, Christian. But that's my responsibility. My thoughts are really with those grieving their loved ones. That is my priority. They are doing it tough. I've been to homes of people in the last couple of days as well as having meetings as well, and my thoughts are with them today.
O’CONNELL: Yeah, beautifully said. It's been the reaction of what's happened since Sunday night has been nothing but humbling. It actually reminds us that there are way more good people in the world than evil. And it's an aberration that happened on Sunday night. It's not the norm here in Australia and all these everyday heroes that acted, that took action. You know, I can't even imagine what it's like to be in a situation like that. None of us know how we would really handle it. But don't you think it's also been humbling in the wake of that, just the day to day, how people have reacted to support each other. There's something really beautiful and moving about it.
PRIME MINISTER: It is, Christian, indeed. We are overwhelmingly a great nation and we're a great nation because we're a great people and people will come together. We will overcome this.
O’CONNELL: Well, I moved here seven years ago, and I think Australia is such an amazing country and I'm proud to be living in Australia. I think you are still the lucky country. It's an amazing place full of amazing people and kind-hearted people and we saw that Sunday. We've seen it over the last couple of days, and we will see it over the next couple of days as well. Australia will, I don't want to say bounce back because it's, it's mourning right now. We're all feeling this. But there's also an air of defiance and actually acts like Sunday night they don't change anything. They don't get to take our joy from us.
PRIME MINISTER: Indeed. Thank you very much, Christian.
O’CONNELL: Take care, Prime Minister, thank you for bringing up some time and speaking to the show today and have a happy Christmas.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.