Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The tragic events of the past month have been a horrific reminder that the scourge of domestic violence, and in particular violence by men against women and often their own children, continues to afflict Australia. This is a social ill of grave and serious proportions. Every Australian had their conscience shocked, I'm certain, by the brutal and cruel murder of Hannah Baxter and her three young children by Hannah's estranged husband and the father of their three children. It was a shocking and savage crime on any measure, but to take place in a family context and to perpetrate such violence upon people whom you should love is nigh incomprehensible. Like everyone here, my thoughts are with the friends and family of Hannah and her neighbours, each of whom will be forever scarred by this.

It is manifestly clear that as a society and as a nation we have to do more to combat and eliminate domestic violence in Australia not just because of the awful murder of Hannah Baxter and her three children but because of the one woman murdered every week by a current or former partner or the one in six women or one in 20 men who have experienced violence from a current or former partner, and because of the 3½ million-odd Australians who have experienced emotional abuse from a partner, carrying a hidden burden as they go about their day. Domestic violence is a stealthy destroyer of lives, homes and families. It is blighting the lives of far too many Australians and far too many Australian women and children in particular, causing them to live in fear and terror.

This government will continue to treat the combat of domestic violence as a national priority. Since 2013 we have invested $852 million in programs to support women and children who are victims of or at risk of domestic violence. We are improving frontline services, with new funding to train police, health workers and other service providers to recognise signs of domestic violence and respond. We are providing more funding for specialist domestic violence providers that deliver essential services for women and children who have experienced and are escaping domestic violence. In my own electorate of Wentworth, where domestic violence is a surprisingly big issue and higher incidence than you might expect, this includes organisations such as the Lokahi Foundation and Bondi Cottage. The Lokahi Foundation focuses on case management to ensure domestic abuse survivors are offered ongoing support without time limit to regain their independence. Bondi Cottage provides direct case management for women in need.

This is an issue that affects literally millions of Australians. It rips families apart and holds people back from achieving their true potential. I applaud the work of organisations all over the country, my own electorate included, in continuing to support victims on the frontlines, working to bring an end, as we all should, to this scourge of domestic violence.