Along with all Australians, I was shocked by the terrible scenes at former President Trump’s campaign event in Pennsylvania.
I’m relieved by the news that the former President is safe and doing fine, and I wish him and his family well.
I applaud the swift work of US security agencies.
I am also saddened by reports that a member of the audience has lost their life, and others attendees have been injured.
I send my condolences to their loved ones in this time of grief.
Let us be clear.
The people at that event – the candidate, the crowd, the free press covering it – were participating in the democratic process.
In Australia, as in the United States, the essence and the purpose of our democracies is that we can express our views, debate our disagreements and resolve our differences peacefully.
We do so with respect for each other and in the spirit of a shared love of our country.
Any act of violence is an affront to democracy – and it must be condemned it, unequivocally.
This was an inexcusable attack on the democratic values Australians and Americans share and the freedoms we treasure.
America has gone through difficult moments in the past.
We have stood by our American friends in those times, just as we will stand by them today - and every day.
America’s resilience, courage and strength always shines through at these challenging moments.
I know they will again now.
In Australia, we take enormous pride in our community harmony and the work that we do to uphold and protect it.
The beauty of democracy is none of us are bystanders. What gives our system life and strength is that none of us are observers, we are all participants.
Democracy is, at its essence, a shared project. We build our collective values in our families, our neighbourhoods and communities, and we express these values when we visit the ballot box to choose our political leaders.
Australian society is built on fairness, decency, and tolerance. Understanding and empathy come from acts of kindness. From respectful listening. Sometimes from agreeing to disagree.
The fairness and tolerance that are the bedrock of Australian society is not a matter of luck. Nor is it something we should take for granted. It’s the product of generations of hard work and cooperation.
Everything we have, we’ve built together.
We cherish it, we celebrate it.
Globally, we live in polarised times.
Debate in any democracy needs to be robust. At times, even full-throated.
But it needs to be constructive, it needs to be respectful and it needs to be peaceful.
In challenging times, political leaders need to be careful custodians of core democratic values.
We need to give citizens faith in our institutions and processes, and faith that our politics is capable of building opportunity for people.
Faith that we are capable of bringing the temperature down - and of bringing people together.
That has always been a driving force of my government, and in a moment like this, the project of coming together – of bridging our divides with respect and care - feels more vital than ever.
We settle our differences at the ballot box, and in the conversations and debates that nourish our democracy.
There is much we still do not know about this terrible incident in the United States and there is nothing to be gained from speculating.
I urge Australians to exercise caution when reading unverified reports of the events, and to seek out credible news sources.
Social media platforms can be instantaneous distributors of rumours, innuendo, and weaponised mistruth. Many Australians would have seen examples of this over the weekend.
We all need to be on guard against those seeking to use misinformation to create division.
This is a time for unity, for calm and for allowing the authorities in the US to do their jobs.
And it is a moment to reflect on the responsibility we have to maintain our harmony here at home.
All Australians stand with our friends in the United States at this difficult time.
This opinion piece was first published in The Australian on Monday, 15 July 2024.