Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Shinzo Abe as Australia’s “true leader and true friend”, while warning that such attacks on politicians could happen again.
Key points:
- Albanese described the assassination as an “act of terrorism.”
- He said he fears it will not be the last attack on a political leader
- Shadow Home Secretary Karen Andrews said it was “a matter of time” before a similar assassination attempt was made in Australia.
Albanese has joined several current and former Australian political leaders to express his grief over the death of the former Japanese Prime Minister and his admiration for the legacy he leaves behind.
The time of Mr. Abe as Prime Minister, between 2006-07 and 2012-20, saw a significant strengthening of the relationship between Australia and Japan.
Abe helped drive the establishment of regional trade agreements such as the CTPPP and revived the Quad partnership between Australia, Japan, the United States and India.
Shinzo Abe visited Darwin with then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2018. (ABC News: Mitchell Abram)
He visited Australia on many occasions, such as addressing the federal parliament in 2014 and visiting Darwin, bombed by Japan in World War II, in 2018.
Albanese said he changed the way Japan interacts with the world and that impact will be felt over the next few years.
“Mr Abe’s life was one of the consequences,” he said.
“It made a difference, it changed things for the better not only in Japan, but in our region in particular and around the world.
“And that’s, to any extent, a really well-lived life.”
Albanese described the deadly shooting as an act of terrorism and warned it could happen again.
“This is the cruel paradox of the tragedy that unfolded yesterday,” he said.
“That someone of so much courage, with so much strength of character could be taken away with an act of extreme cowardice.
“It’s not the first time we’ve seen him play this sad occasion, and I’m afraid it might not be the last.”
“A matter of time”: The Liberal MP calls for a security review
Shadow Home Secretary Karen Andrews said Abe’s death should make Australian politicians rethink security arrangements.
Ms Andrews, who served as Home Secretary in the Morrison government, said the threats facing political leaders had recently been taken into account.
But he said this incident should serve as a warning.
“I think we need to review that because, frankly, and I don’t like to say it, it’s a matter of time until we experience an assassination attempt like this in Australia,” he told Nine.
Albanese said it is an important feature of democracy that senior politicians can meet freely and safely with ordinary voters in public, and pointed to the election campaign as a good example.
“Part of loving this democracy is to allow for this interaction that we have in this great Australian country, whereby high-ranking people can walk the streets, attend events, whether in a professional or personal capacity,” he said. .
“And they feel they are safe from this kind of senseless violence, this crime, this act of terrorism that we have seen tragically unfold in Japan.”
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