Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The statistics on family violence are heartbreaking. One in three women will experience family violence at some time in their lives. No-one can argue that family violence does not have a profound and damaging impact on its victims and on our community as a whole. I as a local MP find some of the hardest meetings to be in are with women who are trying to rebuild their lives after being victims of family violence.

One woman who met with me about this issue brought in a series of bills, desperate for advice on how to pay them. I found out in our conversation that she had just moved to Bendigo from Ballarat, seeking to start a new life after recovering from being a victim of family violence. Another woman who came to speak with me said that she wanted to see greater investment and support for women who are rebuilding their lives but also for her children so that they can seek the support they need on an ongoing basis not just for 10 sessions but throughout their lives.

We must do more. It is time for solutions. The fact is that too little has changed over the past few years and it has been too slow. That is why we need a national crisis summit on family violence. It will not be a government talkfest. It will be a chance for us as parliamentarians to listen to the people who have endured the faults of a failing system. It is time to hear the voices of the survivors.