Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Indi for her question and for the way she engages constructively with the government in representing her electorate and her political viewpoint. I do want to take the opportunity, because the question provides it to me, to mark what is day 2 of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. While this is a campaign for 16 days, I hope that everyone in this House can agree that we need to campaign on this for 365 days a year because every death and every act of violence against a woman is one too many. As leaders in this place we must renew our unwavering commitment to ending violence because the death of any woman is unacceptable. As Australians we mourn every one of the lives that have been lost this year. We know that for every life that we lose there are many more women and children whose lives are marred by violence, abuse or assault every day, and we must look to where we're falling short and find new ways of doing better.

Yesterday, Minister Plibersek announced an almost 40 per cent funding boost for 1800RESPECT so that, when people reach out for help, it's there to help them. We have the $4 billion National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, which was agreed with the states and territories at a special meeting of the National Cabinet that I convened. It's why we've boosted and secured funding for frontline services and delivered more financial and housing support for women and children escaping domestic violence, because women shouldn't have to choose between poverty and violence. Too often, when women remain in violent relationships and they're asked, 'Why didn't you leave?' it's because they didn't have anywhere to go. That's why we created a special stream under the Housing Australia Future Fund as well. We know the causes of violence as—

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