Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I first prepared this speech following the release of the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's yearly report to parliament on 30 October 2025. The very next day, on Friday 31 October 2025, Rhukaya Lake was murdered. It's understood that a child raised the alarm by running around 400 metres down the road to alert passing motorists. She was the 58th Australian woman murdered this year. Since her murder, 32 more women have been murdered, including 12 women murdered this year. The Australian Institute of Criminology tells us that, on average, one woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner in this country. But last year it was almost two a week. Seventy-eight women killed last year, 12 killed this year—this is absolutely a national emergency.

The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's 2025 annual report is the second look at the progress of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. It is both a tribute to the work already done and a sober reminder of how far we still must go as a government to end family, domestic and sexual violence in our country. I acknowledge the victims and survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence—the women, children and men who have lived through trauma and who, tragically, did not survive it. Everything we do must be in memory of them and in service of ensuring no more lives are lost. I extend my deep thanks to Commissioner Micaela Cronin and her dedicated team—and the Lived Experience Advisory Council, whose powerful call to action in this report ensures that lived experience is front and centre and continues to guide our national response.

As a former domestic violence lawyer, I have seen firsthand the deep and enduring impact of violence—not just physical violence but emotional, financial and psychological control that isolates and dehumanises. Most Australians would be shocked to learn that our courts deal with thousands of domestic violence matters each and every day. This is the pointy end of the cycle; thousands more are impacted behind closed doors and on police callouts each and every day. Domestic, family and sexual violence is not confined to one postcode, one income bracket or one culture; it is an abuse of power and it thrives in silence. We cannot stand by or be silent. Ending domestic, family and sexual violence is not optional; it is a moral and national imperative, and the Albanese Labor government takes it very seriously.

I recognise and thank the extraordinary people and organisations who confront this reality every day—the frontline domestic, family and sexual violence workers. Since my election, I've made it a priority to meet with those doing the life-saving work of prevention, response, recovery and reform—many of whom I've had the privilege of also working alongside over the years. This includes organisations like Beyond DV, with their Hope Hub located in Westfield Carindale and now expanding across the state; 54 Reasons and Save the Children, who are ensuring children impacted by violence are seen, heard and believed; the Red Rose Foundation, which is raising awareness of non-lethal strangulation and the red flags of escalating violence—the only organisation of its kind nationally; and Wynnum Manly Rotary and Rotary clubs right across the country, where community compassion drives local prevention and supports those efforts.

Locally, Pete's Pantry and Rosie's in Wynnum provide food support and friendship. Work Haven offers refuge and pathways to empowerment for women fleeing violence. Women's Health and Equality Queensland advances gender equality and trauma-informed health services over the phone statewide in Queensland and in person. Lucy's Project champions the protection of animals and domestic violence situations, recognising that pets are often victims too or used to prevent women and children from leaving. The StandbyU Foundation creates innovative technology solutions to help women and children leave safely through their Shield Watch and in-person support services. DV Safe Phone collect and repurpose mobile phones to give survivors a safe line to help, and many MPs in this place have collection boxes for DV safe phones. Safe Steps lead crisis response and 24/7 support for women and children across Australia. Micah Projects and Brisbane Domestic Violence Service assist those experiencing homelessness, poverty and violence with compassion and respect right across Queensland. Of course Community Legal Centres Queensland continue to stand beside some of the most vulnerable, ensuring access to justice with 34 centres across the state. Last, but certainly not least, our police force do the heart-wrenching work each and every day on thousands of police callouts in Queensland. Our vulnerable persons unit has done incredible work over the years—a really big shout out to all of those officers who are on the front line. To all who dedicate their lives to this work, thank you. You are the quiet heroes of this national effort, and your resilience, compassion and commitment absolutely save lives.

The commission's report reveals overwhelming truths. It is estimated that 2.8 million Australians have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. That is one in every four women in this country. Violence disproportionately impacts First Nations Australians, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 33 times more likely than other Australian women to be hospitalised due to family violence and seven times more likely to be homicide victims. Rhukaya Lake, who was murdered on 31 October last year, was a First Nations woman.

I'm proud to stand in a government that is not just acknowledging this crisis but actually doing something about it. Through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, we have invested more than $4 billion since 2022. That is the largest investment by any government in Australia's history. We made permanent the leaving violence payment, which offers $5,000 in financial support to those fleeing intimate partner violence, along with referrals, risk assessments and safety planning. We've also delivered $1.2 billion for new crisis and transitional accommodation, ensuring older women, younger Australians and those fleeing violence have access to safe and stable housing. In my own electorate of Bonner, 24 new homes are currently being built through these programs. We've legislated 10 days of paid domestic and family violence leave, ensuring that no-one in the workplace loses out when they reach out for help. We've also taken bold steps to audit Commonwealth systems so they cannot be weaponised by perpetrators of abuse, including reforms under the Social Security Act to make sure perpetrators cannot use the social security system to leave survivors with tens of thousands of dollars of debt. We've also reformed the family law system. We've partnered with states and territories to deliver stronger justice responses to sexual violence. We've committed an extra $800 million for family violence legal services across the country. These are real, tangible steps, but this report makes clear they are only the beginning.

We must recognise that violence evolves, and so must our response. I've been inundated by stories of women whose phones are being tapped and controlled by their former partners. Men are also embracing hateful views towards women, word for word from the manosphere handbook. I know every female MP in this place faces daily hate on social media platforms, and many women escaping violence are also confronted with online harms. Gender based violence is now extending into online spaces through predatory technologies, deepfakes, nudify apps and undetectable stalking tools. That is why we must take more action to address online harms, like banning predatory technologies, restricting access to tools that are used to harass, control and degrade women and children, because women and children deserve to be safe everywhere in their homes, in their communities and, of course, online.

The commission's report also calls for us to deepen our engagement with lived experience to ensure we genuinely listen, learn and embed voices at every level of decision-making.

It highlights five critical insights. Firstly, prevention must begin in childhood through education. We now have 80,000 educators being trained in trauma informed models. It also talks about how effective solutions come from those most affected. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ communities and multicultural communities must be consulted and included in making the decisions that impact them. Thirdly, our systems must stop working in silos. We need all of our systems—child protection, family law, health services—to interact in a way that makes women and children safe. And, finally, our institutions must move from control to care. When someone in crisis calls for help, they should be met with compassion, not judgement. Safety is a right, not a privilege.

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