House debates

Thursday, 25 November 2010

Questions without Notice

Violence Against Women

3:29 pm

Photo of Brendan O'ConnorBrendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fowler for his question and his ongoing campaigning on this very important public issue. Today, as many know, is White Ribbon Day. It is a day that was created in 1991 by a handful of Canadian men who met on the second anniversary of one man’s massacre of 14 women in Montreal, Canada. From that day this event has grown to the point where the United Nations General Assembly has recognised 25 November as a day when we have an opportunity to stop, to reflect and to act against violence against women and girls. Indeed, we do have some work to do. The facts are that there are nearly one in three Australian women who have experienced physical violence and almost one in five women who have been victims of sexual assault. These are damning statistics, they are appalling figures, because they effectively mean that in any one year almost half-a-million women in this country suffer physical or sexual violence. It is an intolerable situation and I am therefore very pleased that the White Ribbon Foundation in Australia is working very hard to create a national awareness of this problem. The foundation is working very hard with community groups and organisations to reduce this problem with a view to hopefully stamping it out.

As a part of White Ribbon Day, Australian men are making a public oath to support the campaign and ensure that Australia becomes a safer place for women and girls. Today, in the Senate courtyard, this day was signified by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and members and senators of all political persuasions meeting to make an oath and in some cases reaffirming their commitment ‘to not commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women’ and to wear a white ribbon as a visual indication of this solemn commitment.

The campaign goes from strength to strength. Today we have 1,200 white ribbon ambassadors, many of whom are in this place, but there is a lot more that needs to be done. I also note the efforts of a number of ministers, including the Minister for the Status of Women, who announced today a $1.1 million White Ribbon Workplace program to deliver ambassadors’ accreditation and awards in workplaces, where we know violence against women does occur all too prevalently. This government, indeed this parliament, has a zero tolerance approach to all forms of violence. We are working in partnership with women’s organisations, state and territory governments, other community groups and law enforcement agencies to reduce violence against women and girls. We are proud to be working alongside the outstanding community organisations that are committed to stamping out violence against women.

The government today is calling on Australian men to show leadership in combating violence against women and girls. It is by not speaking out, it is by condoning violent behaviour and it is by turning a blind eye that men let themselves down. They let their communities down. Most importantly, they let down women and girls in this country. In particular, I call upon men in this place to make an oath, if they have not made an oath, and indeed urge all men in their constituencies to do the same.

Comments

Steve Wickenden
Posted on 5 Feb 2011 6:44 am

Julia Gillard Australian Socialist Labor Party sell out Australian kids for the creepy Lesbian vote (female homosexual personality disorder)
Family Court of Australia is a blatant fraud putting lesbians ideals and policies before kids and bastardising Australia kids in the process
The Family Court of Australia is a superior court of record and deals with more complex matters. The Courts goal is to deliver excellence in service for children, families and parties through effective judicial and non-judicial processes, high quality and timely judgments while respecting the needs of separating families.
You know a train wreck by the carnage and devastation, the statistics speak volumes, bias is self-evident the evidence is in abundances, bias is unjust multibillion dollar fraud not quality judgment.
The point is multi billions of Australian dollars are spent to public and private labor party psychopathic, kleptocrats, feminists and lesbians pooling in and around bureaucracies at the communitys expense, for a blatant inappropriate unproportional gender biased fraud decimating and damaging body of inequality that is not justice.
The key is kids first and gender equality in all facets, not unrelated biased sub-groups with inappropriate agendas.
Yes to quality for kids, No to feminists and lesbians involvement hetro family matters.
All Australians are entitled to freedom of speech, association, assembly, religion, and movement.
My 18 month old boy is literally being tortured by order of Australian courts for the benefit of tax funded labor party feminist lesbians
Dear Sir or Madam,
I hereby make a formal complaint against the courts Family Consultant in this matter and the Family court.
Oskar my son is very special, I have always taken care of him from birth, he has always been so bonded to me that he cries when we are separated, Im what I have come to understand as Oskars primary attachment as I always was his primary carer.
The mother Rattanasopa and the courts family consultant are well aware this is the truth, and are actively lying falsely and misleading the court to hide the truth.
My story, Brisbane family court is a fraud, the Brisbane court family consultant stood up in court and lied her head off (is obvious public services have complete impunity), put me down as much as she could with no cause.
1. The Brisbane court family consultant claimed the primary attachment was with the mother and only a little attachment to me, my 18 month old son Oskar clings to me, wont let me out of his sight, he wouldn't let go of me to go to either of the courts family consultants in Brisbane court, screams and cries when he see his mother especially when she takes him, because she abuses him I have seen her do it, (I have been taking video for the last couple of months of the change overs), now he has to live with her in refuge in North Brisbane, child safety ignores me and wont go check on him.
2. Oskar my son seen me for the first time six weeks after he was taken from home, he had fever, a cold, chest cough, runny nose, diarrhoea and was drowsy, I took him to his doctor on the Gold Coast. His doctor put him on anti biotic and said to take him to the hospital if he didn't eat or drink, I ended up taking him to the hospital twice and his doctors again and he had serous stomach pain at nights is likely to have lactose intolerance.
3. Ten days later at the Brisbane court for the hearing, their family consultant with no medical degree, said I was only a slight cold and I shouldn't have taken him to the doctors, magistrate Howard agreed saying he didnt understand why I took him to his doctor, gave the mother custody didn't let him finish the antibiotic, the mother was giving him the wrong milk.
4, Magistrate Paul Howard orders handovers to be in his sleeping times and for him to be woken, literally sleep deprivation torture,
It would be fine if the mother was taking care of Oskar but she really is mentally ill and Oskar is in real trouble. He is constantly sick which he never was before when is with me, it would be fine if the courts were in reality on the kids side, obviously they arent.
I have called child safety 3 times, wrote them, and went to see them Miami office (obvious bunch of lesbians), been to the GP, family relations, Ombudsman Queensland and federal, legal aid Southport,
An Australia baby is literally being tortured while you lesbian creeps and your multibillion dollar bureaucracy play we get paid not to give a crap.
The matter urgent and involves the health and wellbeing of my young son,
Dads that have been tolerant to abuse in the extreme.

Regards,
Steven Wickenden
3/49 Old Burleigh Rd Surfers Paradise
Po Box 1507 Broadbeach 4218 Gold Coast
stevewickenden@hotmail.com
Phone 0410567090
www.exposeyourgovernment.com