Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning I joined my Labor colleagues in meeting frontline workers who are assisting and supporting victims of family and domestic violence as part of the We Won't Wait campaign. What they won't wait for is domestic violence leave. Despite having to still wait to meet with government members who cancelled their meeting, the time for waiting for change should end. Domestic violence leave costs about 5c a day per employee, but the real point is: 39 women have died due to domestic violence in 2017 already. A lack of domestic violence leave means further trauma for domestic violence victims rather than the assistance a compassionate society should provide. What I ask everyone to consider is: if you think the burden of including paid DV leave in the National Employment Standards is too onerous, why are you not doing more to prevent domestic violence in the first place? Don't argue against the leave. Argue and campaign against—prevent—domestic violence.

The Western Australian, Queensland and Victorian state governments have now introduced 10 days of paid DV leave for public servants. Yet, through the Minister for Employment, who is also the Minister for Women, this government stands opposed not only to paid DV leave being included in the NES but also to Australian public servants receiving it. The Prime Minister likes to talk a big game about his support for women, yet, as evidenced in the proportion of women in his party room and ministry, this Prime Minister is all talk and no action, and Australian women are much worse off because of it.