We are one; they are us

Last Friday, March 15, will now forever be a day etched in New Zealand’s collective memory. On a quiet Friday afternoon, a terrorist stormed into a place of peaceful worship and took away the lives of 50 people.

The terror attack in Christchurch was the worst act of terrorism on our shores, and one of the worst globally in recent times.

It has become one of our darkest of days.

As the Prime Minister has said, this is not who we are as a nation.

Many of those affected are from our refugee and migrant communities. Christchurch was their home. For many, this may not have been the place they were born, but a place they chose to live, raise their families and practice their culture and religion.

They are us; the one who carried out this act of terror is not.

New Zealanders have drawn closer together in the face of this assault.

The mountain of flowers around the country that lie at the doors of mosques, the spontaneous song outside the gates. These are ways of expressing an outpouring of love and empathy.

We’ve unified around the values we hold dear. We’ve shown compassion; we’ve shown strength; we’ve shown resolve. We’ve shown so many of the qualities that make us who we are as a country.

As the Government, we are working quickly to understand how this happened, and to make changes that will make New Zealanders safer. One example of that: Our gun laws will change.

Safety and security of New Zealanders is the Government’s top priority. We will do all we can to preserve our way of life.

I want to express my absolute gratitude to the first responders, the ambulance staff and the health professionals who have assisted — and who continue to assist those who have been injured.

There have been countless stories of bravery, some of which we may never know, but to each, I acknowledge and thank you.

To all our Muslim communities in Te Tai Tokerau, please know that I am here for you. If you need anything, or want to share your thoughts for what we can do as a community to ensure this never happens again, please contact me or one of my offices around the electorate.

And support is available to all. Anyone who is distressed or needs to talk to someone in the aftermath of the terror attacks can phone or text 1737, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to access support services.

Tomorrow, it will be a week since the attack. Members of the Muslim community will gather for worship on that day. On Friday, let us acknowledge their grief as they do. Let’s support them as they gather again for worship.

We are one; they are us.

"We’ve shown compassion; we’ve shown strength; we’ve shown resolve. We’ve shown so many of the qualities that make us who we are as a country."