House debates Questions without Notice

Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Rural, Regional and Remote Australia: Services

Monday, 26 October 2026 House of Representatives

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

2:18 pm

I thank the member for Calare for his question. Like every member of this House, my thoughts are with Helen, her family, her friends, her team and her community at what is an extremely difficult time. This was a violent attack. While we don't know yet the motivation—we have to allow those processes to take their course—what we do know is that we need and there will be a longer term response about the whole tone of not just political debate but public discourse.

There are increasing elements of violence towards police officers, including a tragic incident. I attended the funerals of the police officers murdered in the siege that happened with the sovereign citizen in Victoria. We have increased amounts of violence and threats to and intimidation against emergency service workers, retail workers, people in hospitality. We certainly need to deal with that as a society, and all of us have a role in leadership to do so as well.

But the member singles out particularly violence against women. I'm working closely with the Minister for Social Services and the Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher, who are developing the second national plan on violence against women and children. I participated in roundtables developing this process that needs to go across everything from education—the impact that some of the online manosphere is having on the attitude of young boys as they grow into adolescence about what's appropriate in attitudes towards women and behaviours. Today, I met with Chanel Contos, who is doing such an extraordinary job. This young woman, a strong advocate, is talking about appropriate sex education—the Teach Us Consent campaign, which is so important, aimed at young people. I also met, just before question time, with Bruce and Denise Morcombe, who are also playing a really important role particularly in regional Queensland but right down to regional New South Wales as well.

This is something that my government takes very seriously, and it's something that I think the whole of the parliament needs to work on as we go forward. I thank the member for his question.

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