Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Monday of this week, Rosie Batty, Australian of the Year, Paul Linossier, the CEO of Our Watch, and Jennifer Jackson, a survivor of family violence, spoke to the members of the Parliamentarians Against Family Violence group in this place. They all had a different story to tell, but the one clear theme was that family violence is a symptom of gender inequality, that it disproportionately affects women and that it is everyone's responsibility to take action to stop it. I was extremely impressed with the number of MPs from all sides of the House and all sides of politics in attendance on the night. It was clear from the mood in the room that everyone there felt very deeply and were unsettled by the large number of women and children that are affected by domestic violence in our community every day. This is not a partisan issue. Everyone in this House knows how important it is for us all to work together to end violence against women and their children.

When Rosie Batty addressed the parliamentarians in this group, you could hear a pin drop. Her story is haunting, and we are all in awe of her strength and determination to advocate for change that will mean that no more women or children will lose their lives as a result of this type of crime. Rosie Batty is an outstanding Australian not for what her former partner did but for the incredible advocate that she has become since her tragedy. She reminded us that family violence is everywhere. It does not discriminate. It does not respect differences in ethnicity, class or geography. She reminded us that it is our responsibility—everyone's responsibility—to do what is necessary to end this violence.

When Jennifer Jackson spoke, she also had a powerful story to tell. Jennifer's story answered the question that we ourselves are very used to asking sometimes—'But why do women stay in these situations?' She told us that there are many explanations for why a woman would stay in an abusive relationship. One of the reasons is obvious—fear, a paralysing fear. Imagine how terrible it would be to not feel safe in your own home. Imagine what kind of state you would be in if you had suffered emotional, physical and psychological abuse, if you had been told every day that everything that you do is wrong, that you deserve abuse and that it is your fault. Then you would start asking yourself: what will happen after I leave? How will I support myself and my children? How will I keep a roof above our heads? Here is my question to everyone here today: how easy would it be for you to leave in these circumstances?

The law is another reason why women stay. Often violence will escalate when a woman decides to leave. In fact, this is the highest risk period for a woman in an abusive relationship. Who will make sure that she is protected if the courts, the police and governments do not intervene?

When Paul Linossier, the CEO of Our Watch, spoke, he told those assembled about the gender inequality at the core of family violence. He got to the heart of the problem. He told us about the importance of targeting the attitudes and behaviours that reinforce negative views of women and enable men's violence against women to proliferate. He reminded us that it is the responsibility of all of us to call out sexism when we see it and call out gender inequality in our community. He also made the very depressing point that, in many respects, the kind of community attitudes that enable men's violence against women are worse today than they were 10 or 20 years ago.

The national community attitudes survey released earlier this year in fact shows particularly worrying figures about the attitudes of our young people on these issues. It is dispiriting to say the least that we seem to be losing traction with a generation that has grown up with the expectation that men and women should be equal. We need to intervene directly in this space today. I welcome the Prime Minister's announcement today of a $30 million prevention initiative to tackle these attitudes, and I would suggest that the attitudes of our young people and younger generations is an area deserving of particular attention in that respect. We need to turn around this backwards trend.

All speakers at this event made it clear that the national crisis of violence against women is a battle for all of us, especially men. This is because it is men's attitudes and behaviours towards women that need to change the most. Earlier today, Bill Shorten invited the Prime Minister to convene a national crisis summit and get to work together on ending family violence across Australia. It is a genuine offer, and I hope the Prime Minister takes it up. We have said that, if the Prime Minister does not take up this offer, we will initiate this national crisis summit within 100 days of the election of a Labor government. All of us in this place know what needs to be done to end this violence—so let's do it. Let's get together; let's do it now. I hope you will join me.