ANTHONY ALBANESE OFFERS 'BOLLARD MAN' HERO AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP
A Frenchman who confronted the Bondi Junction attacker will be allowed to stay Australia, with Anthony Albanese promising to grant him citizenship after his heroic act.
Damien Guerot earned the nickname 'Bollard Man' after a viral video showed him bravely confronting stabber Joel Cauchi on an escalator, one of many instances where he rushed to help others in need.
It’s understood he intervened to stop the attacker from reaching an area where many children had been playing at Westfield Bondi Junction.
His visa expires in a month, and a petition was launched to grant him Australian citizenship after his heroic acts amid the Bondi Junction stabbing.
Mr Albanese was asked about Mr Guerot's heroism on Tuesday morning.
'I say this to Damien Guerot, who is dealing with his visa applications, that you are welcome here. You are welcome to stay for as long as you like.
'This is someone who we would welcome becoming an Australian citizen, although that would of course be a loss for France.
'We thank him for his extraordinary bravery. It says a lot about the nature of humanity.
'At a time when we are facing difficult issues that someone who is not a citizen of this country stood bravely at the top of those escalators and stopped this perpetrator from getting onto another floor and potentially inflicting further carnage on citizens.
'I think that on Saturday we saw some of the best of human character at the same time as we saw such devastating tragedy and I thank Damien for his extraordinary efforts.