Broadcast 15 December 2025, 2:19pm - 2:25pm

Transcript

REPORTER: ...bring in a special interview with the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, who joins me now. Governor-General, thanks so much for having a chat with us. I wish we were talking in different circumstances. Your thoughts and reflections. I saw your labour wreath just a second ago.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: This is a very sombre moment that we're all part of right now. Governors General have the ability to see the best and the worst of Australians. You don't expect to see that in the one incident and you covered it. Yesterday evening into the late night, we were watching the very best of Australia. The heroes, the first responders, those that were still in shock was going on and we saw the very worst. An attack that is almost unfathomable in this country, probably not unexpected by Jewish communities who have been wanting us to stand up and to make sure that it didn't happen. So, their hurt and pain is extraordinary. Their generosity to us today to be able to come and spend time talking and listening to one another. But Sir Zelman Cowen, one of my predecessors, said that the job of the Governor-General is to reflect the light and shade of the country back to the country today. I've been posting a number of videos to say this is part of the shadow of our country, something that we didn't ever expect. This is not part of how we think about our country. The flags are at half mast around the country today and we have to reflect on how we come out of that shade and into light. And I know we'll get there. I know that the hope of Hanukkah and the light that was being celebrated here last night must guide us. But we're having to call on every Australian, I think, to dig deep and know what it means to fight anti Semitism, to fight all of the things that this community has been dealing with because it has ended in an absol. Atrocious catastrophe.

REPORTER: It is interesting too, isn't it, Governor-General, that. I mean, I've been talking, as you have, to people in and around here. No one wants to get outwardly too angry about it, but there is an anger of why didn't people listen? Why didn't people find antisemitism tougher and hearted like we've been begging our leaders to do? And that's a very real emotion, isn't it? It is.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: There is an underlying anger. It's deep in this community. This is a very strong, tight community that normally holds strong. And I think the breaking of that community yesterday with this appalling, atrocious act of absolute terror has, I think, lifted a veil on things that people have been feeling. I know that they will be very, very mindful of that. In the way in which we all communicate with each other. I know there's a generosity at the heart of this that always is with the Jewish community. 

Earlier this year, I had a number of the surviving Holocaust survivors between the ages of 95 and 105 come into Admiralty House to talk about what is so important, about what we fight for, for justice and peace in this country. And they shared with me their story where antisemitism takes us not just as the Jewish communities, but for Australia and the world. 

We're listening carefully too. And I've been speaking to Jewish leaders all morning about how we commemorate. I would encourage everyone watching to pick up on the suggestion that we all light candles tonight as part of Hanukkah, but do that in our homes. Put those candles in the windows in absolute solidarity of the Jewish community and do that for the period of Hanukkah. I'll certainly be doing that at Admiralty House and Government House. We've opened up condolence books in both those places. 

We'll find ways to welcome in those that are hurting and the leaders of his community and all of the first responders and the hero that you saw yesterday in realtime, extraordinary. And there was on that day, along with those ambos, the first responders, many of them Jewish, many of them being shot themselves. 

It was like something we would never expect to see in Australia, never want to see again. And I've said today on all my social media that we now have to accept responsibility. We have to understand how we got to this place and how we must never come to this place ever again. That's on all of us, because if.

REPORTER: We take out some of the elements, it's impossible to take out religion, Governor-General, but this was a family day and these were Australians doing a family event. A symbolic location, which is the freedom of Australia. This great beach of ours, this is.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: The symbol of everything we say is great about Australia. It's physically beautiful. We invite the world to this place. The people who live here enjoy peace. They're often the greatest proponents of peace. They come down to the beach for the very best reasons. And to have a Jewish festival, the Hanukkah by the sea, to be a target is incomprehensible. It's evil. And you saw that you were calling it yesterday. And it must never happen again. And I think we have to learn and build as a community, as Australians.

REPORTER: We need some change.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: We do need change. And I've said for my whole term that I put care and kindness at the centre of everything I do. I think that's what this community has always done and it's a strength. It's doing care well constantly is hard work and we've got to be in the business of rebuilding trust and rebuilding for this community, but for Australia and show the world what it is. We know we are at our very best and I hope, I know we'll get there. It's going to take every one of us to do the work, but the...

REPORTER: Drive, that's the important thing.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: I have great confidence in Australians and our national character. We have to get through this. There's going to be a lot of healing. I think we've got to show deep care for each other, but particularly for the Jewish community. We have got to call out all forms of antisemitism, whatever form it takes, wherever we see it. And it's in school, it's education. That time has come and this community knows that the pain we're seeing here, the sombre reflections, is where we must never be ever again.

REPORTER: I wonder, as you represent him, have you heard from The King on this subject?

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: So, our team was speaking to the Palace throughout the course of last night. We couldn't confirm anything until we had had the Police Commissioner explain that this was an act of terror. I'd encourage everyone to have a look at The King's comments. The King and Queen. We posted it immediately that he put that out. His words are uncompromising. They are of a man who cares deeply about this country, who abhors antisemitism. His words are profound and strong. He ends, though, with the belief that this country has the greatness and the character to rebuild and to come together. And we've got to. We've got to believe that ourselves as well. But it's a wonderful statement from The King. I'd encourage people to look at it. It reflects exactly what we'll be seeing here about what we must now do.

REPORTER: I know you're in demand here. Thank you for your leadership and all of this, Governor-General. Thanks for joining us today. I appreciate that.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: Condolences to everybody, not just those here, but everyone around the country, the Jewish community all around the country. I've been speaking to rabbis in most of the states. Everyone has a family member connection here. And so the country is in warning and we have to turn that Greek in mourning into our own action and show that care and make sure this country stays strong. So, appreciate it.

REPORTER: Thanks so much for joining us.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL: Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks, Michael.

HOST: All right. The Governor-General there like to talk to her and leadership on that issue and calling for change. We're going to analyse the Prime Minister's comments about those new gun laws in a moment as well. We're live.

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