Malcolm Turnbull confirms at least one Australian injured in London attack, as Bill Shorten criticises Hanson’s response

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Malcolm Turnbull has been briefed by counter-terrorism experts and offered condolences to the UK after an attack in London, which killed seven people and injured at least 48, as Pauline Hanson was criticised for her response.

UK police shot dead three people suspected of carrying out the attacks, which occurred less than two weeks after the Manchester bombing killed 22 people and just over a month after an attempted attack on the Houses of Parliament in Westminster was allegedly thwarted..

In an address to the nation on Sunday, Turnbull said the government was aware of reports of “two Australians who have been directly affected by this attack”.

London attack: what we know so far Read more

“One case has been confirmed and the Australian concerned is in hospital,” he said. “In the other case, we are continuing to make inquiries. Our officials will continue to provide every assistance they can to Australians affected by this shocking attack and their families.”

The families of both victims had been notified.

As leaders struggled to understand the scale of the attack, Hanson used a London police message – designed to keep residents safe as the attacks were unfolding – to create a meme to end Islamic immigration in Australia.

It echoed tweets by Donald Trump, who used the events to urge courts to allow his failed travel ban on certain Muslim countries, tweeting “We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!”

London Metropolitan police had advised residents in the area to “Run, Hide, Tell” as the attacks occurred.

Within eight minutes suspects were dead: timeline of the London Bridge attack Read more

The message was immediately seized on by Hanson, who created meme urging Australia to stop Islamic immigration “before Australia reaches 5% like England”.



Shorten denounced the One Nation leader’s actions as “crass, idiotic and disgusting”.

“It’s disgusting and inappropriate,” Shorten said. “We don’t even know fully what has happened and now what we’ve got is people using this for the crassest of political messages within hours of this event happening.

“I would just say to those people on the extremes of Australian politics, hold your horses. An event like this should make you realise that Australians need to stick together.

“The only way we stop these things from happening is by us being united in our determination to stick together.”

Hanson hit back at Shorten, tweeting “The people of Britain have been let down by their leaders. It’s so frustrating to see fools like Bill Shorten making the same mistakes.”

And then: “Labor started this under Whitlam, Fraser was almost as bad. Rudd & Gillard opened the borders. Bill Shorten will make the same mistake.”

Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi also posted a message soon after the attacks, urging Australia to defend its own culture.

“When I first warned that Britain and Europe were committing cultural suicide many years ago, the media, Liberals, Greens and Labor were all competing in rush to condemn the truth,” Bernardi said.

“Alas too many still refuse to see the problem in our own midst. We need to defend our values, defend our culture, accept the problem is directly inspired by Islam and plan accordingly.”

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The prime minister spoke with cabinet colleagues and his counter terrorism coordinator, director general of security and deputy AFP commissioner as well as the high commissioner to London, Alexander Downer after news broke of the attack on Sunday, Australian time.



“Our prayers and resolute solidarity are today as always with the people of Britain in the face of the shocking terrorist attacks in London,” Turnbull tweeted.

Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said: “We stand ready to support the British government as it responds to these attacks and our thoughts are with those injured and their families.”

Shorten and the Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, joined other politicians to express their condolences. Shorten said Australians needed to stick together.

“The more these things happen the more it makes me realise that Australians need to stick together,” Shorten said. “It’s at moments like this that we throw politics out the window.”

Di Natale told Insiders: “Can I just send our deepest sympathies to the people in the UK at the moment who are clearly suffering particularly on the back of Manchester”.

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, said there was no reason to change Victoria’s threat level.



He said after the Nice attack, in which a van was also used to kill people, the government had began reviewing the need for bollards and other barriers.

London police shoot dead three terrorist suspects after rampage kills six Read more

“We will waste no time in delivering both some static barriers to protect places like Bourke Street, the trams do present some challenges with that, there will also be what are termed dynamic bollards as well,” Andrews said.



The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said her government was doing everything possible to keep the community safe.

“Our hearts go out to the people of London and Great Britain today after learning of what they’ve suffered in the last 24 hours,” Berejikian said. “We can only hope and pray that these events stop occurring.”