Legislative Council: Thursday, October 16, 2025

Contents

Motions

Kirk, Mr C.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. B.R. Hood:

That this council—

1. Notes with deep sorrow the assassination of American political commentator Charlie Kirk on 10 September 2025;

2. Extends its sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and supporters;

3. Affirms that political violence has no place in a free society;

4. Condemns all forms of political violence and intimidation; and

5. Calls on all South Australians, particularly political leaders, to commit to respectful and peaceful public discourse.

(Continued from 17 September 2025.)

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (12:11): I rise today to speak in the strongest terms in support of this motion. It is a motion that goes to the very heart of our democracy, to the foundations of our society and to the values that we as a parliament must defend without hesitation or compromise. The assassination of Charlie Kirk in the United States on 10 September shocked the world. Charlie was a political commentator, a voice in the contest of ideas. Whether one agreed with his views or not is immaterial: he was a husband, a father, a friend and a son. He was a citizen exercising his right to participate in democracy and strongly encouraging others to do the same.

His brutal murder was not simply an act of violence against him personally; it was an act of violence against the very principle of free speech, free debate and free democracy. It is more shocking because he was not a career politician but a member of the public encouraging others to openly share their views. Political violence is not new, but it is profoundly corrosive. It silences voices, it narrows debate and it teaches citizens that fear, not persuasion, is the path to power. When violence enters politics, democracy itself begins to wither. We must be crystal clear: there is no justification ever for political violence—not in the United States, not in Europe and not here in South Australia.

What has struck me most deeply since this tragedy has not been the commentary of pundits or the headlines in newspapers, but the extraordinary courage of Charlie's wife, Erica Kirk. In the midst of unimaginable grief, Erica Kirk stood before the world and gave a speech in memory of her husband. It was a speech that was not laced with vengeance, not laced with rage, but imbued with dignity, with conviction and with love.

Erika spoke of Charlie the man, Charlie the father, Charlie the dreamer and Charlie the believer in democracy. Her words cut through the fog of anger and confusion and reminded us, all of us, why we must not allow violence to define the future. Erika's courage should inspire us. Here was a woman who had just lost the man who stood lovingly and firmly by her side for years through a senseless act of violence, yet in her darkest hour she chose not to fuel division but to call for unity, not to curse the darkness but to hold up a light. That is leadership and that is faith, and that is the message that this parliament must hear, that even in grief we can choose a better way, that even in loss we can choose hope over hate.

This council must take her message to heart because while South Australia has not experienced an assassination, we cannot ignore the rising tide of hostility and intimidation faced by political figures here at home and, indeed, around the nation. Many of us in this chamber know what it is to receive threats. Many of us know what it is to have our families targeted with abuse, and many of us know with growing unease that public discourse is becoming harsher, more personal and more dangerous.

That is why this motion matters. It is not symbolic; it is necessary. It says that we, as leaders, will not tolerate violence in politics. It says that we, as members of parliament, will not normalise abuse, intimidation or harassment, and it says that we, as South Australians, believe passionately in a democracy where we argue fiercely over ideas, but we never dehumanise, we never silence, and we never harm those who disagree with us. It says that the ties that bind us together as people are more important than political differences.

In this state, we pride ourselves on a robust parliamentary tradition. Debate here is often fierce, often passionate, and rightly so, but that debate must always remain within the bounds of respect, and we must show South Australians that it is possible to disagree profoundly without descending into hate, because once hate takes root, violence is never far behind.

This motion also calls on us to look outward, beyond our own borders, and to remember that democracy is fragile everywhere. In too many countries political opponents are silenced, imprisoned or killed. In too many places the gun has replaced the ballot, and violence has displaced dialogue. Let us never take for granted the freedoms we enjoy here in South Australia. They are not guaranteed. They are maintained only by our vigilance and by our collective commitment to defend them. We, each of us as citizens, have a responsibility to pull our collective weight and vote.

I also want to address the role of community. Political violence is not just an attack on leaders; it is an attack on society. It robs families of loved ones, it robs citizens of voices, and it robs future generations of trust in democracy. The strength of our system lies in the belief that every voice matters, that every citizen can participate safely, and that ideas can be tested without fear. When that safety is stripped away, democracy is weakened for all of us. Erika Kirk understood this. In her speech, she called not for revenge but for resilience. She called not for hatred but for hope. She showed us that the antidote to political violence is not silence nor submission, but courage and compassion. That is a lesson for every one of us in public life.

Today, in supporting this motion, I say this: let us reject the politics of hate. Let us denounce intimidation in all its forms. Let us honour Charlie's memory and the courage of his wife, Erika, by committing ourselves to a South Australia where political debate is fierce but peaceful, where disagreement is robust but respectful, and where no-one need fear violence because of the views they hold or the office they occupy. Violence has no place in our democracy—none—not now, not ever. I commend the motion to the chamber.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.

Sitting suspended from 12:19 to 14:16.