Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to acknowledge 67 women who are no longer with us—67 women who died a tragic and violent death, victims of an epidemic of violence against women in Australia. As I did in the last term of parliament, I want to honour and commemorate the lives of these women killed by acts of violence. I do so as a reminder to us all that these women are not just statistics; they are grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, neighbours and colleagues. They are real people with hopes, dreams, friends and family. They loved and were loved. Their deaths are tragic and they diminish us all. I want to acknowledge at the outset the work of the Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy the Joint, who undertake the heartbreaking task of updating this list of indescribable tragedy.

Today I want to honour the lives of Johann Morgan, aged 41; Simone Quinlan, aged 33; Jody Meyers, aged 20; Linda Addams, aged 67; Karina Lock, aged 49; Kirralee Paepaerei, aged 37; Corinne Henderson, aged 32; Penny Bailey, aged 59; Gail Parnell, aged 73; Marnie Lee Cave, aged 26; Simone Mottram, aged 51; Rachel Michael, aged 38; Maureen Boyce, aged 68; Danielle Miller, aged 44; Melinda Horner, aged 36; and four other unnamed women.

Sadly, a new year did not mean an end to this senseless violence. This year another 48 women have lost their lives through acts of violence—many in their own homes and many at the hands of those well known to them. They are: Valeria Fermendjin, aged 70; Karen Chetcuti, aged 49; Samantha Kelly, aged 39; Iulian Triscaru, aged 31; Sharon Micheluti, aged 48; Prasad Somawansa, aged 48; Nelda Edwards, aged 88; Jody Websdale, aged 42; Jackie Deng, aged 20; Manjinder Ghuman, aged 43; Sukhwinder Ghuman, aged 66; Olivia Tung, aged 41; May Ritchie, aged 81; Gayle Woodford, aged 56; Sandra Peniamina, aged 29; Michelle Reynolds, aged 46; Miming Listiyani, aged 27; Rosemary Gibson, aged 62; Rachel Tyquin, aged 44; Melanie Floyd, aged 28; Tina Kontozis, aged 51; Michelle Leng, aged 25; Violet Tamvakis, aged 75; Karen Belej, aged 31; Yvette Rigney-Wilson, aged 29; Tamara Turner, aged 39; Zeniab Taleb, aged 27; Kylie Cay, aged 44; Annabelle Chen, aged 57; Voula Delios, aged 68; Elizabeth Kippin, aged 80; Peta Fairhead, aged 27; Rhonda Baker, aged 26; Sabrina Bremer, aged 34; Mia Ayliffe-Chung, aged 21; Tasmin Bahar, aged 35; Anne Rogers, aged 61; and 13 other unnamed women.

That this list continues to grow is a national shame. These women's lives must not be lost in vain. They had every right to be safe, to be loved and to have a future. So we must double-down in our efforts to address the cultural, social and systemic causes of this violence. We must do more to ensure access to safe housing for women and children fleeing violence; that legal support is adequate and accessible; and that adequate funding is available to community organisations that are doing the hard work on the ground. Ending violence against women and children must be a priority of all governments. (Time expired)