Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Many of us in Queensland and, in fact, in Australia will remember where we were when news broke that Brisbane resident Hannah Clarke and her three children were brutally murdered in a suburban Brisbane street earlier this year. The loss of human life was shocking, and I believe it has started to make more of our fellow Australians aware that domestic, family and sexual violence is a growing issue throughout our communities. The story of Hannah Clarke and her three children is by no means an isolated one. Sadly, as this House's committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has heard during our ongoing inquiry into this issue, domestic and family violence is endemic in Australia. Every day, 12 Australian women are hospitalised because of domestic and family violence, and every nine days a woman is killed by her current or former partner. Unfortunately, I don't think we've seen the extent of it yet. Lockdowns have increased stress in many intimate relationships while making it more difficult than ever for family violence to be reported. It is possible, perhaps likely, that these figures will increase when the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic become clear.

However, contrary to the suggestion by the member for Newcastle, the Morrison government has taken a strong position on reducing family, domestic and sexual violence and is continuing to provide record levels of support to keep women and children safe at home, at work, on the streets and online. In March 2020 the government committed $150 million to respond to expected increases in DV during COVID. This is in addition to the $340 million allocated by this government in the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. The 2020 federal budget included, for the first time, ongoing funding for 1800RESPECT as well as additional funding for the Help is Here campaign until 2021. It also allocated $4.8 million for the Family Violence and Cross-Examination of Parties Scheme. Most recently, the government brought forward legislation that has enabled the $13½ million pilot program to enhance the protections afforded in the Family Court system called the Lighthouse Project. This will identify at-risk families early, provide them with specialist support and fast-track their cases, with appropriate security arrangements in place.

However, there's always much more to be done. The inquiry—of which I'm chair, with the member for Newcastle as deputy chair, and I want to thank her for bringing this important motion on today—has heard evidence from representatives of law enforcement, peak bodies working in communities, Indigenous Australians, aged-care representatives and members of the LGBTI+ community, all of whom work directly with perpetrators, victims and their families who've experienced this kind of violence. Without pre-empting the findings of our committee's inquiry, I can say that many have shared their concerns that unless we drive change at a community level we will continue to see rates of violence increasing.

All forms of domestic and family violence have their genesis in a lack of respect for one's partner or former partner. Many witnesses who gave evidence to the inquiry were able to speak to the effectiveness of perpetrator programs and the benefits of community awareness programs, like No Wrong Door, Breaking the Silence, Change the Story, NO MORE and Stop it at the Start. However, real change in attitudes and behaviours will come at the grassroots and in families—inn homes. I believe we need to identify the influences in our schools, community organisations, sporting clubs and workplaces that can lead the way in reinforcing the message that violence is never acceptable. Undoubtedly, positive role models who can lead by example will be a vital step in the journey forward. If we can encourage our young people from an early age to develop healthy relationships, I believe that will be a terrific start.

Our committee's report will help shape the next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. This presents a crucial opportunity to reform our approach to family, domestic and sexual violence, and to identify levers and entry points we can use to eliminate this violence from our community. I know that the government understands the crucial importance of coordinated action and the focus we need on preventative measures. I encourage the government to take note of our committee's report, when it's presented, and ensure the next national plan has a long-term vision to shape and change behaviours and attitudes so that we can ensure, each year, that fewer women and their children experience violence.

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