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

I thank the member for Clark for his question and for his genuine concern and engagement with people in his electorate. There are, of course, four women occupying the other Tasmanian seats in this House—the members for Franklin, Lyons, Bass and Braddon. They are all strong women who are strong advocates for the right of women to live in peace and free from violence, which has such a devastating impact. The figure that the member raises of two murders in the last fortnight is horrific. Every act of domestic and family violence is abhorrent and completely unacceptable.

We have, as the member has acknowledged, invested over $4.4 billion to take action to end family, domestic and sexual violence, and that includes funding for the sort of organisations that the member has spoken about—1,400 organisations that have directly helped around 450,000 people experiencing violence across Australia. We've funded 500 additional community workers. Last Friday, the Minister for Social Services and member for Sydney launched the major consultation to shape the next phase of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032. That process will be driven by a wide range of people across the community, including academics and experts, frontline workers, employers, community members, victims-survivors, and children and young people.

The Minister for Social Services has encouraged everyone to have a say, and there is a consultation being held in Devonport on—I think it's 18 June. That's coming up as well. I'm always happy to meet constituents where it's possible. Sometimes it's difficult to fit 50 hours into a day, but I've engaged with the member when I've been in Tasmania, as he knows. The focus of the second action plan will be on what works to deliver practical and systemic solutions, those with the greatest impact. In areas where we are making a positive difference, we look for opportunities to redouble our efforts. We'll listen to all ideas.

Quite frankly, this is a task for every level of government, but it's also a task for every part of society. Men need to take responsibility for the actions that take place. There's overwhelmingly violence against women and children from men. That is just a fact, and we need to do much better. I look forward to participating with the national plan. I look forward to continuing engagement with the member for Clark.

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