Parliament pauses in honour of Bondi Beach and bushfire victims

3 February 2026 Watch full condolence motions

A minute's silence was held at the conclusion of condolence motions in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
A minute's silence was held at the conclusion of condolence motions in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.

Members of parliament stood in silence on the first sitting day of 2026 to acknowledge the impact of the summer bushfires and the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

The separate condolence motions supported by all parties allowed MPs to share their sympathies with the people affected.

Bushfires ignited in early January with one life lost, hundreds of properties destroyed and hundreds of thousands of hectares scorched. 

‘As we rise to join in this motion today we also do need to recognise that firefighters and emergency crews continue to be out there right now fighting difficult and dangerous fires in different parts of the state,’ Premier Jacinta Allan said.

‘There are many Victorian communities that are still living with the risk of fire in the landscape and the uncertainty and the anxiety that comes with knowing that these fires are not yet under control.’

During the fires people were forced to evacuate their homes in the state’s north, east, south and west with heatwave conditions hampering efforts to fully contain the flames.

‘The devastation is simply unimaginable, and yet through the devastation came incredible stories of Victorians banding together to support each other,’ Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said.

‘Across Victoria families are now navigating significant loss and focusing on the task of rebuilding. I say to those affected communities and individuals: we are with you. Your resilience is remarkable and your spirit is what makes Victoria so strong.’

On 14 December 2025, 15 people were killed in a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Gunmen targeted a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hannukah.

Members of Parliament again paused for a minute silence after offering their heartfelt contributions.

‘We offer our condolences to every family grieving an irreplaceable loss, and we speak directly to Jewish Victorians, to those who felt grief, fear and heartbreak in the days since,’ Ms Allan said.

‘Never let us forget those 15 innocent lives now lost to us: young Matilda, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Dan Elkayam, Peter Meagher, Alexander Kleytman, Adam Smyth, Tania Tretiak, Boris and Sofia Gurman, Reuven Morrison, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Tibor Weitzen, Marika Pogany, Edith Brutman, Boris Tetleroyd,’ Ms Wilson said.

You can watch each of the condolence motions from the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council on the Parliament’s YouTube channel.

You can read all of the condolences in Hansard for 3 February 2026.