Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to speak out against this government's privatisation of rape and domestic violence services, and I am pleased to support the member for Griffith's motion. I am curious and interested to see the member for Robertson, the member for Boothby and the member for Goldstein, who is sadly now walking out the door, here to speak about the service. The member for Goldstein tried to turn this into union bashing. I hope they have a thorough understanding of what this government that they belong to, led in this case by Minister Porter, has done to this service and why they think making money off the back of rape victims is acceptable. I assume they don't, but I find it criminal that they could be in here in support of privatising rape services. A woman, man or child at their most vulnerable as a victim of rape is now a dollar sign in the eyes of the Turnbull government. The contempt the government has for victims is breathtaking, and the contempt in which it holds the rules and upholding them is absolutely shocking. It presides with a born-to-rule mentality, and I am happy to call it out. Asking professional rape and trauma counsellors to break their industry's code of ethics is riding roughshod over them in the interests of making money and not providing thorough support.

I can understand how government members can come to this conclusion. If you have never needed 1800RESPECT, if you have never been raped, or if you are not one of the one in three people who have experienced domestic violence, it could be easy to reach a conclusion like this. If they haven't been a victim, I say to them: lucky you. But, with the vulnerable people who have been raped, bashed or traumatised, we owe it to them as our duty of care to ensure that the services are available to them, no matter what. Why shouldn't victims and survivors of rape and family violence get the best possible counselling service available? What possible justification could the government come up with for this to take place?

Minister Porter has attempted to create a diversion from this. Of course he would, because we know he hates to be called out on dudding the people of this country. He has blamed 1800RESPECT's provider, Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia, saying they declined to be a subcontractor on the panel. I can assure the minister he got that right—of course they did. The offer made to them by Medibank Health Solutions was an offer that a professional organisation could only refuse. There was no choice but to withdraw. The decision was not taken lightly by RDVSA—a service, let me remind you, that has operated for almost 50 years and is recognised internationally for its expertise.

But, clearly, we now know how to do business with this government. If you are willing to trade your values, your ethics and the quality of your counselling services and, most importantly, monetise rape victims and turn them into cash cows, then you can have a contract. If those opposite don't understand what they support, because they don't care about victims, they should consider the statement made by the Medibank Health Solutions director: 'Medibank Health Solutions is to double its profit from sexual assault and domestic violence over the next five years.' With a statement like that, should there be any question whatsoever in the mind of Minister Porter and the minds of those on the opposite side about the goal of Medibank Health Solutions? Does Minister Porter understand that the primary outcome of this service should not be making money but saving lives and reducing the trauma felt by someone who has been raped or bashed? He would have to be a pretty bland breed of special to not understand how profoundly poor that statement is, based on the nature and the content of the services they provide. Since when did we profit from victims of rape, let alone double our profits from victims of rape and domestic violence?

I'm astounded that this government has not intervened. But why would it—it is only in the national strategy to reduce violence towards women? And we now know that reporting rates have risen and access to this service is being driven by demand. This is poor legislation led by a poor Prime Minister, who is more committed to running a $122 million opinion poll on the rights of people before the law. What a shame he isn't as committed to the rights of rape and domestic violence victims. But I bet that come White Ribbon Day in November or the international day for eliminating gender violence this Prime Minister will again talk a big game.

Everyone else who cares about rape victims and wants to see an end to domestic and family violence should think long and hard at the next election about supporting the Liberals, because the Liberals cannot be trusted to support victims of rape and domestic violence. Defunding Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia from providing, on time, the critical service that provides the absolute support these victims need is a demonstration of the Liberals' lack of commitment to the women, children and men who have been raped or traumatised by family violence.

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