Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for the question. It is indeed White Ribbon Day today, and it is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I believe all in the Senate would agree with me when I say, in Australia and internationally, violence against women is wrong, violence against women and children should not be tolerated, and violence against women and children must be stopped.

Honourable senators: Hear, hear!

In terms of action that the government is taking, on 27 June this year the Prime Minister, Minister Andrews and I launched the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. We are focusing this time on experiences of all women but, in particular, Indigenous women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and women with disability. The Second Action Plan contains 26 practical action items that all governments across Australia—Commonwealth, state and territory governments—believe are critical to improving women's safety. Over $100 million has been allocated over the next four years to support the Second Action Plan. The new initiatives that the Australian government is funding under the Second Action Plan include: $3.3 million for CrimTrac to develop and test a prototype for a national domestic violence order scheme; $1.7 million to take the next steps in developing a national data collection and reporting framework; and more than $1 million to expand 1800RESPECT—Australia's first national professional telephone and online counselling service.

There is no doubt that the Second Action Plan is a plan for everyone—for all women, for all men, for all children, for the business sector, for communities, for community leaders and for governments. Violence against women and children is unacceptable, it is a crime and it requires all of us working together to tackle the issue.