Appreciate you all being here. I'm joined, of course, with the Prime Minister, Commissioner Lanyon, Commissioner Barrett, the Minister for Mental Health, Rose Jackson, the Chief Psychiatrist, and the Minister for Police. Obviously, we'll give an update on the latest in relation to the investigation and related matters. I want to make it clear after speaking with the Prime Minister and the National Cabinet, as well as the New South Wales Cabinet, that our response to this horrifying tragedy must be comprehensive and has begun already. Our approach to this terrible crime in New South Wales is multifaceted, but I want to make it clear that our efforts to firstly work with the New South Wales Police on counter terrorism efforts continue. Secondly, fighting antisemitism in our community, which will not be done in a week or a month, that it's a long term important project for the Government of New South Wales working with civic leaders and the people of this state. Thirdly, gun law reform in New South Wales with legislation brought into the New South Wales Parliament to make gun laws tougher in this state. I'm determined to bring in the toughest gun laws in Australia and they'll be significantly tightened in New South Wales. And lastly, and importantly, and this has been reflected from civic leaders, community leaders across this state, bringing New South Wales together as a time of healing. I saw on the news some of the rabbis who gave some incredible, heartfelt messages to the New South Wales community about coming together, showing love to one another and getting through this through healing. And I thought that they were incredibly important messages right now in New South Wales. Messages that we all need to hear. I'm very grateful for their intervention. I want to speak a little bit about blood donations too. I'm very happy to report that there has been 50,000 appointments to give blood in New South Wales, which I understand is a fivefold increase. I say to the people of New South Wales, don't give up. If you haven't got an appointment, if you can't get in immediately, we require your blood. Be a blood donor in New South Wales. To put this in perspective, for somebody in trauma they may need 100 individual donations to save their life. So this is an urgent priority. Don't give up if you're at the end of the line, make an appointment. Do a wonderful bit of civic and public duty. I'm also here to report that small business help will be forthcoming in the next 24 hours or we'll announce a program in the next 24 hours for small businesses in the Bondi area. We know there's huge disruption associated with this huge police investigation. There's been an impact on the local community and part of our job after this investigation moves on is to ensure that we lift back up the Bondi community and we give people a place to come together and to return to a semblance of normal life. I want to make it clear, none of the shopkeepers, none of them have complained about this at all. But we want to have their back as they open their doors in the coming days. There's lots to say, I just want to thank the public, in particular the Jewish community and interfaith leaders, for their warm support in the Government's decision to put a menorah on the New South Wales Opera House to celebrate the second day of Chanukah. This has been a tragic event, tragic event for the Jewish community of New South Wales and Australia. But we're determined to meet it head on with a program and a set of reforms to ensure that we do everything we possibly can to ensure that it's not repeated. I'm going to pass over to the Prime Minister and then Commissioner Lanyon.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Chris. My message to Jewish Australians is that we stand with you as a nation. We embrace you at what is a terrible time. These antisemitic terrorist attacks will not be successful with their objective, which is to divide us as a nation. We will continue to come together as a nation and to embrace each other. Earlier today, I met with Australian hero, Ahmed El Ahmed and his family. I met his mum and dad, who are visiting him here, as well as other relatives at St. George Hospital. I thanked him for the lives that he helped to save, and I wished him all the very best with his surgery that he will undertake tomorrow. And I was able to also thank the health professionals, the doctors, nurses and staff at St. George Hospital for providing support for him. Sunday's tragedy will have, of course, an immediate and lasting impact on many Australians. But for the Jewish community here in Sydney and nationally, first responders and people in Bondi and Sydney, the impact will be particularly acute. The Australian Government has made significant investments in mental health support, including expanding Headspace and the creation of Medicare Mental Health Centres. And I encourage all Australians affected by this tragedy to consider accessing the mental health support, including through Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Headspace for Children and Young People and Medicare Mental Health Centres are of course available to support people affected by this tragedy. Yesterday I convened National Cabinet where National Cabinet again spoke about the scourge of antisemitism and the commitment to stamp it out. We also agreed that Premier Minns and Premier Cook, as the incoming Chair of the Council of Australian Federation, would work together to strengthen Australia's gun laws. The very nature of our gun laws means that they are only as strong as the weakest link, which is why we want to make sure that they followed Premier Minn's lead in committing to strengthening the gun laws that were of course created in the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy some 30 years ago to give credit to the Howard government of that time and the bipartisan nature in which it was adopted. The consideration that will take place includes limiting the number of guns an individual can own, the type of guns that are legal, whether gun ownership should require Australian citizenship, and accelerating work on the National Firearms Register. This is an agreement that we reached through the National Cabinet at the end of 2023. We've provided over $160 million to do that, included in that is over $100 million to states and territories. It is a fact that for some states and territories they still have paper records and that obviously makes it impossible to check across boundaries in a quick and efficient manner. And the digitisation that is required, we've agreed to accelerate that. We will continue to engage and this afternoon I'll have further meetings, another meeting of the National Security Committee, further meetings this afternoon. My government is absolutely committed to working with NSW as well as working with community organisations, particularly Jewish community organisations at this time. I'll call upon the Commissioner Barrett to make some comments before we go to questions. Commissioner Lanyon, first.
MAL LANYON, NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE COMMISSIONER: Thanks, Prime Minister. I'll start first. I'd just like to give an update. Our two parallel investigations are ongoing. We have a critical incident investigation which investigates the role of police in the matter and certainly in terms of the death of the 50 year old male and the injury to the 24 year old male. Whilst that's continuing, we have a joint counter terrorism operation running at the same time. And I welcome my fellow Commissioner, Commissioner Barrett, here from the AFP to talk about that this morning. There is still a crime scene in place in Campbell Parade and down around Bondi Beach. I anticipate that will stay in place until tomorrow afternoon where it will be released to the public. We continue with forensic and ballistic examinations. I have made it really clear in previous conferences that this will be a thorough investigation. I apologise for the disruptions to pedestrians and traffic while that crime scene is in place, but I'm sure all of the community understands the importance of investigating this abhorrent matter. The Community Reception Centre has been open and activated at the Intercontinental Hotel at Coogee. That will provide health support to people who require it, mental health support, but also allows us to speak to those who are witnesses to this incident and treat them sensitively. The Public Information and Inquiry Centre is operating. That number is 1800 227 228. It's been really important to give our investigators in the joint counter terrorism space time to investigate this matter before releasing too much information. There has been reports in the news about our two offenders travelling to the Philippines last month. I can confirm that they did travel to the Philippines. The reasons why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that and where they went when they were there is under investigation at the moment. I also confirmed that the vehicle which is registered to the younger male contained IEDs. But I also confirm that it contained two homemade ISIS flags. We continue to work through the motive of this tragedy and will continue to do so. And I think it's really important that our investigators continue to be given time to do that. This is a very complex investigation and important that we do it thoroughly. Operation Shelter ramped up yesterday. We have static patrols or static guards at a range of locations around the eastern suburbs, particularly Jewish places of worship and other important locations to the Jewish community. In addition to that we have mobile patrols and I want to make it very clear to the Jewish community, as we did to their leaders yesterday, that the New South Wales Police stands right beside you. We are here to keep you safe. I want the community to feel safe and be able to go around their way of life. New South Wales Police will maintain a significant response in Operation Shelter to ensure that the community can go about their normal way of life. I would like to correct a record - I have been indicating that Sajid Akram, the 50 year old male, has held a firearms licence since 2015. Mr Akram applied for that licence on 8th October 2015 and it was recommended that it be issued in November 2015. I'm advised that he did not get a photo taken as required by that licence and the application lapsed in 2016. A second category A/B licence was applied for Mr Akram in 2020. That licence was recommended for issue and issued in 2023. I think it's important that the transparent nature of the investigation provides that change. The initial information had been that it had been issued in 2015 and I think it's important to give that detail. He was licensed to hold a Category A/B licence and the firearms that we have seized were attached to that licence appropriately. I'll hand over now to Commissioner Barrett, but happy to take some questions later.
KRISSY BARRETT, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE COMMISSIONER:
