Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the recent commencement of the 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave entitlement for all employees of small businesses. Firstly, it is absolutely imperative that we collectively acknowledge and confront the harrowing reality of violence directed towards women and children and that all of us use this time to denounce this violence in its entirety.

In fact, the tragic toll this year has witnessed an alarming and heartbreaking number of lives cut short due to family and domestic violence. These losses of life encompassed women of all ages, a multitude of cultural backgrounds, different employment situations, different education levels and different income ranges. These women resided in our neighbourhoods, leading lives uniquely their own. Tragically, their lives were cut short at the hands of their current or former intimate partners.

We all know these horrific statistics. One in four women have experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 15. One in four women have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of 15. One in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. One in six women and one in nine men have experienced physical or sexual abuse before the age of 15. But these individuals are not just anonymous statistics. These were women who were held dear and whose presence in the lives of those who loved them was so abruptly and violently taken away.

However, let us not forget that the reach of violence is, of course, not confined to lives lost. It extends to those living every day in fear of such violence. This reality is a painful reminder of the magnitude of the issue at hand.

Of course, all forms of violence against women and children are utterly, utterly unacceptable. Our government's commitment to ending family and domestic violence is unwavering and absolute.

Just last week, as the Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, I was very proud to join the Minister for Social Services in commemorating the start of 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave for small businesses. From 1 August, small business employees were given a new right to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. This brings them in line with the same entitlements in place since 1 February for at least seven million employees who work for large or medium businesses. And it includes casuals.

Small businesses have an extra six months to adjust to the change, in recognition that they may not have the same human resources capacity as larger businesses, and to make arrangements to make sure they can administer that leave effectively. The government has provided a range of tailored supports and guidance to help small businesses to understand their obligation and be able to administer the leave entitlement both sensitively and lawfully. This includes a newly-launched podcast, Small Business, Big Impact, hosted by Gretel Killeen, which I know will greatly assist small businesses in recognising and responding to family and domestic violence. Crucially, the 10 days paid leave extended to all categories of employment, whether they be rostered, casual and part-time positions or full-time roles.

As a Labor government, we know how crucial this is. We know that all employees must have the right to access this life-saving entitlement, and now they do.

Research underscores the vital role that access to a stable income plays in empowering individuals to be able to actually leave violent relationships. Statistics reveal such a stark reality: one in five women have taken time off due to violence inflicted by a former partner, and one in 11 due to violence perpetrated by a current partner. Paid leave supports individuals to attend court proceedings, seek counselling, engage with law enforcement or navigate the many challenges involved in the process of relocating home or changing their children's school. This leave represents a tangible layer of support for those vulnerable women and children who are experiencing the trauma and reality of domestic violence. This leave will save lives and it represents yet another stride towards our goal of ending violence against women and children in one generation, as outlined in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. The national plan launched by this government provides a blueprint for all of society and all levels of government to end violence against women and children in one generation. Clear actions to implement the national plan will be outlined in two supporting five-year action plans. Those action plans will show steps that the Commonwealth, state and territory governments will take to address the key areas in the national plan.

In our 2023-24 budget, the Albanese government was proud to commit an additional $589.3 million to deliver women's safety initiatives under the national plan, and this was on top of our record investment of $1.7 billion in women's safety through the October budget. That's a total of $2.3 billion. We are funding a whole range of different initiatives to help deliver this plan across prevention, intervening early and supporting the delivery of vital frontline services. These include: $169.4 million over four years for 500 frontline service and community workers; $159 million over two years to extend the National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses, with state and territory governments to continue to address many service gaps; $104.4 million to expand the role of Our Watch, to address the drivers of violence against women and children; $38.2 million in funding to extend the escaping violence payment trial and the Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot Project; and $12.1 million over four years to develop and distribute social media resources on consent for young people and to support community led sexual violence prevention programs. Our government is steadfast in our commitment to ending gender based violence, and we know that it's this coordinated action that will get us there.

As we also know, on 28 October 2022 our government appointed the inaugural Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner. Ms Micaela Cronin commenced in the role on 1 November 2022, and is one of only three national domestic violence commissioners worldwide. The commissioner is absolutely central to the oversight of the national plan. Commissioner Cronin is a really key advocate for victim-survivors, and she works across states and territories to help coordinate key national safety and service frameworks. I would also like to make very specific mention of the Lived Experience Advisory Group currently being established by the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission. We know that all policy responses must have the voices of victim-survivors embedded within them and listened to. This must be ongoing and constant.

Ending violence against women and children requires our collective commitment, action and unwavering resolve—that's all of us, all levels of government and all of us within the community. The lives lost, the trauma experienced and the fear endured by victim-survivors demand our understanding, our empathy, our attention and, most importantly, effective measures and effective action. Some of the initiatives I have outlined here today mark steps in the right direction, but we all know that our work is far from done. We know that we have to continue working together. We must continue to advocate, implement and evolve our efforts until we can, collectively and proudly, declare that our society is free from family, domestic and sexual violence. I know that these views are shared throughout the entire chamber and held very, very deeply, and that we're all working together towards this goal. In fact it's the duty of all of us, collectively, to ensure that every woman and child lives in safety, with dignity and without fear.

Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Domestic violence is happening at unprecedented rates across Australia. My electorate of North Sydney welcomes the beginning of paid family and domestic violence leave. In 2022, 56 women lost their lives to domestic violence, with another 38 losing their lives this year alone. Shockingly, 11 women lost their lives in this last month. That's 94 women in 84 weeks—a record of accomplishment any nation could not be proud of. Every year, nearly 8,000 women return to dangerous environments after fleeing domestic violence because they feel they have nowhere else to go, while another 9,000 become homeless. Crisis response services are overburdened, and emergency shelters are overflowing. These are just the stories we know of—people who have found a way to leave—with the reality being that thousands are trapped silently in violence.

The implementation of this payment, an annual allowance of 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave that's made available to all employees—be they full-time, part-time or casual employees—is to be welcomed, and it's my hope that this leave will encourage more of those who currently feel they have no way out to take those first important and, often, tentative steps to get themselves and those they love to a safer environment. While I welcome this move from the government, we need to also acknowledge that, in of itself, it will not solve the extensive challenges faced by women experiencing domestic violence, and we remain a long way from ending violence within one generation. The truth is that that outcome is going to require far more work and will only be successful if supported by an integrated response—leveraging the legal, economic and government ecosystems to achieve it—while also challenging ourselves to think differently.

For a start, the huge variation of family violence laws—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

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With domestic violence happening at unprecedented rates across Australia, my electorate of North Sydney welcomes the beginning of paid family and domestic violence leave. In 2022, 56 women lost their lives to domestic violence, while another 38 have lost their lives this year. Shockingly, 11 women have lost their lives in the past month alone. That's 94 women in 84 weeks—not a record of accomplishment any nation could be proud of. Every year in Australia nearly 8,000 women return to dangerous environments after fleeing violence, because they have nowhere else to go, while a further 9,000 become homeless. Crisis response services are overwhelmed, and emergency shelters are overflowing—and these are just the stories we know of. These are people who found a way to leave, but the reality is that thousands more are trapped in violence silently.

The implementation of this payment, then—an annual allowance of 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave, made available to all employees, be they full time, part time or casual—is to be welcomed. It's my hope that this leave will encourage more of those who currently feel they have no way out to take those first important and often tentative steps to get themselves and those they love into a safe environment.

While I welcome this move from the government, we also need to also acknowledge that, in and of itself, this will not solve the extensive challenges faced by women experiencing domestic violence and we remain a long way from ending violence in one generation. In truth, that outcome is going to require far more work and will only be successful if it's supported by an integrated response leveraging the legal, economic and government ecosystems and applying, potentially, a new way of thinking.

For a start, the huge variation of family violence laws and justice responses across the country is just one of the areas we must address. I argue that the current crisis requires a coordinated response through federal law. Then the stay-at-home programs under the national Keeping Women Safe in their Homes initiative are not working, with the majority of women believing that remaining in their home is not possible at the point of separation. With family and domestic violence being the main reason women and children leave their homes and the leading cause of homelessness for this group, we must find a way to reverse this belief.

It's just common sense that communities and families will be stronger when it is the perpetrator who is required to leave a domestic arrangement when there is violence. This is not to condemn the perpetrator to the same reality women currently face, which is homelessness, but to not pursue this course because it threatens to victimise the perpetrator is ridiculous. On the flipside, we cannot have women leaving and feeling like they're sitting targets for continued harassment and violence because the fractured justice system, frontline services and existing public protection policies do not provide an integrated response.

Recently, the CEO of a women's shelter in my electorate told me that the state of housing is dire and the need is immediate. We cannot wait for housing to be built. Funding alone will never be sufficient in the current climate, and as a parliament we cannot simply measure our efforts by what our government is prepared to spend. While the record investment contained in the 2023-24 federal budget was welcomed, sadly it barely touches the sides of what is required to enable those facing violence to escape without ending up in poverty.

All of us in this place, then, must hold ourselves accountable for genuine progress to end violence against women. I echo the minister's statement. If we all work together and if we all pull in the same direction, this can be achieved. People experiencing violence should never feel like they are standing alone. Instead, they should be provided with all of the support they need to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible.

In conclusion, then, while the government's commitment to ending violence against women and children in one generation is admirable, it's going to take much more than words, and one good policy will not get us there. We have a responsibility to carry this work forward, and I call on the government to: No. 1, look at federal law to better coordinate state justice responses; No. 2, scale up the economic response beyond just funding to maintain relevance in the current economic climate; and, No. 3, walk the talk and action the commitment they have made to end violence within one generation. I must confess that's a walk I would happily take together.

Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This really important topic of family and domestic violence leave is something that I think goes beyond just the leave. The government's commitment to improving people's lives and making sure that we reduce gendered violence goes beyond just the leave, although that is, of course, very important. To have provided 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave for workers right across Australia is incredibly significant, particularly because it is the only implemented form of leave that includes casual workers. We know that for so many people, particularly those in insecure work, decisions often have to be made between whether they get paid or whether they are safe, and it is really so critical that, with this family and domestic violence leave being implemented, workers, particularly women workers, will no longer have to make that really terrible choice.

I have spoken to many women over the course of the work I've done, before entering this place and since, about what difference this is going to make. I know it will be significant, and I know workers and workplaces right across the country have really supported our introduction and implementation of this piece of legislation, because we know it will change lives. I think that, through the normalisation of people taking family and domestic violence leave, we'll begin to see other conversation start to happen and we'll be able to see cultures and behaviours change. This is a really pivotal change in the way that we think about workplaces and about the things we need to do to truly make a difference to getting rid of family and domestic violence in our communities.

I note that our government last year launched the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, with the incredibly ambitious but appropriate goal of eliminating gendered violence within one generation. Family and domestic violence leave is a huge stride in enhancing workplace rights and safeguarding the wellbeing of employees. We know that small-business employees will be part of this, as well as employees in larger companies. The introduction of 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave, which never existed before, is really critical in creating a fair and supportive work environment for everybody.

I also want to acknowledge that this change came about because of the really powerful and courageous advocacy of victims-survivors and employee organisations in particular to raise this issue, to elevate this issue, to the national consciousness and result in the kind of change that we see today. I do not think their courage in pushing forward this change can be emphasised enough. It is a change that will mean that other women will not have to experience the terrible decision-making processes that they've had to, when they were forced to choose between their wages and their safety. That is a terrible position for anybody to be put in.

I think that the comments the minister made in the ministerial statement earlier this week have really helped to keep alive the need to take action to eliminate gendered violence. I note too that this morning the Minister for Education, Jason Clare, made comments in relation to safety on campuses and the need to eliminate gendered violence in those settings. Of course, we know that the work to eliminate gendered violence is not going to be isolated to any particular area of society. Indeed, with family and domestic violence leave, efforts are being made to provide support for people in their workplaces who are contending with things in their personal lives. Through the priority recommendation to work through a national process with states and territories to try and deal with the issue of gendered violence on campuses, we understand that in educational settings this is also a pervasive issue that needs attention. It will require a whole coming together of society to make sure that we are able to eliminate gendered violence within a generation, which is our goal.

Personal safety should never be compromised for economic stability, and the implementation of family and domestic violence leave acknowledges that quite clearly. We know that too many people in the past have, unfortunately, stayed in very dangerous situations and have had to put their personal safety at risk because they felt that they couldn't make the choice to step away from work for the period they needed to to make arrangements to leave a very unsafe relationship.

As part of the implementation of our family and domestic violence leave, the Fair Work Ombudsman has provided tailored advice, guidance and support to help all businesses understand their responsibility, which is really important because—it's really great, of course, that we've introduced this new right to leave, but it's really important that people can take advantage of this provision and make the right decision for themselves in relation to getting out of a dangerous situation when they need to.

This has been a really collaborative process to get this tailored guidance and support together, as well as to get the family and domestic violence leave settings right, and it has involved experts from family and domestic violence organisations as well as small business representatives and those I mentioned earlier as being part of the process, the victims-survivors and employee organisations.

In my own electorate I have met with various family and domestic violence prevention groups, including within universities, who are at the cutting edge of research in this area and are helping to push forward ideas around the cultural and behavioural change that needs to happen right across our communities—in workplaces, schools and universities—to make sure that we eliminate, as much as we can, gendered violence in our communities in the short term, with that longer term goal of ridding our society of it within a generation. Having the 10 days of leave under this new right is a very important provision, but I think the ultimate goal, to eliminate gendered violence, is something that we all need to commit to as a society and as a parliament.

I know that these changes will save people's lives. I look forward to working with people in my own community to do more so that, in the next generation, people don't need to make the decisions they currently have to make, because we will have reached that goal of eliminating gendered violence within a generation.

Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning I rise to talk about the Minister for Social Services's statement relating to family and domestic violence leave. I thank her for bringing such an important topic to the House for discussion. The reforms to family and domestic violence leave brought forward by the Labor government are on top of the measures put in place by the previous coalition government. In December 2018 the coalition enshrined five days of family and domestic violence leave in the National Employment Standards. We know those suffering family and domestic violence, particularly women and children, need avenues of support that allow them time to recover and do what is necessary to ensure their safety and that of their family. Family and domestic violence leave ensures that this can take place. It allows them time to put the relevant legal measures in place with police, if need be; to speak with financial counsellors; and to have time with family and friends to recuperate and make a plan to protect themselves and potentially their children as well.

As the member for Lindsay there is one statistic I am not proud of relating to my electorate. My community has some of the highest rates of family and domestic violence when it comes to the state of New South Wales. It is not a list you want to be top of. I thank, for their important work, the local women's shelters, the emergency housing providers and the officers of the social housing team at the local New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice Penrith office who every day—every single day—pick up the pieces of distraught families who need their care and support to escape violent and coercive occurrences.

I want to place on the record again my thanks to the police officers at the Nepean Police Area Command on general duties and those who specialise in assisting family and domestic violence victims. Recent statistics from the Nepean PAC demonstrate that domestic violence is the No. 1 issue impacting the Penrith community, with the last quarterly statistic up—not down—for domestic violence. I note that the Nepean command is working on a new system for domestic violence—a dedicated family and domestic violence arrest team.

My office and I regularly meet with family members impacted by family and domestic violence. It's always such a horrible feeling to have a family come through the door escaping a horrible situation and having nowhere to go but the local federal member's office. Each story is unique, each story is so extremely difficult and each story is heartbreaking. I want to ensure that each story is not just a statistic but is the start of another very important conversation on how to end family and domestic violence in Lindsay and across the nation. It is not just a conversation but a conversation that turns into action that makes a difference.

The coalition when last in government took strong action to address women's safety. In fact, we had a Minister for Women's Safety, Senator Anne Ruston. We expect that significant work to continue under this government. The first action plan on family and domestic violence has not been delivered—it has been delayed. I know these matters can be complex and need to be right and fit for purpose, but we do need to ensure that those impacted by such violence are given support now. The Albanese government at the election committed to the establishment of 500 frontline service positions to assist women in need of support. I really encourage this happening because the community needs it, and they want to know when it will be delivered.

The previous coalition government provided investment for women across the previous two financial years, including $3.4 billion in 2021 to 2022 and an additional $2.1 billion in 2022 to 2023. Specifically, this funding saw $1.3 billion for women's safety initiatives, support for women in leadership to drive positive change, boosts to women's labour force participation and improving women's health outcomes. I am proud that I secured funding for local caseworkers for the Penrith Women's Health Centre. They are frontline caseworkers really making a difference on the ground. That is really important. The thing is that it doesn't matter how much governments are investing—both coalition and Labor—because when you see domestic violence figures increasing in a community it means that the money that is being thrown at things is just not making enough of a difference.

Over a short period of time earlier this year we had two domestic violence related deaths in my community of Lindsay. That's two families and friendship groups—people that they knew—rocked with the loss of a loved one who was tragically murdered by their partner. Around one woman per week is killed by their partner or former partner. This statistic is harrowing. In 2021, 135 lives were lost due to family and domestic violence. There were an additional 27 on top of that last year. I would like to thank my coalition colleague and shadow minister for women, the member for Farrer, for her contribution to this ministerial statement. I do note the coalition's ongoing work and interest in the family and domestic violence space and with regard to associated leave mechanisms for workers impacted by such behaviour.

With leave adjustments being made to support more families, particularly women and young women workers, facing family and domestic violence, we need a leap in plans to stop the ongoing prevalence of violence impacting every single community in Australia. Whether it's in Lindsay in Western Sydney, remote communities of the Northern Territory or the North Shore of Sydney, we need more support to stop family and domestic violence. I know that each state and territory government is working towards eliminating it. We do need a strong overarching national plan in place that is suitable and will stop the perpetrators of all forms of family and domestic violence.

Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The statistics that I'm about to read out are not easy to hear. They paint a stark picture of the often hidden but insidious act of domestic violence and its pervasive and indiscriminate spread in homes across our nation. Here are the ugly facts of domestic violence: one in four women have experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 15; one in four women have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of 15; one in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15; one in six women and one in nine men have experienced physical or sexual abuse before the age of 15. This year alone, we've already seen too many lives lost to family and domestic violence. We can no longer ignore the brutal reality of domestic violence. That's why our Albanese Labor government has legislated groundbreaking reform: 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave for all Australian workers. It's why we are committed to ending violence against women and children, violence that is often hidden in plain sight.

In my electorate of Corangamite in Victoria, we've seen a growing number of family violence cases reported over the past five years. It is encouraging that these cases are being reported, but it reveals just how systemic family violence is. Statistics from the Victoria Police show that just last year there were approximately 4,800 cases of domestic violence in local government areas across my electorate alone. This is unacceptable. These women come from all walks of life—different ages, cultures, professions and backgrounds. They share a heartbreaking story—their lives and their children's lives tragically cut short or brutally upended at the hands of a current or former partner. These women are aunties, sisters, daughters, friends and colleagues. They are women we have loved and women we have lost too soon. Of course, we know that it's not just women and children facing injury and losing their lives to violence; it's also women and children living every day in fear because of the violence they are experiencing. It's women who find tracking devices in their children's toys, who field abusive calls at their workplace every day and who wake up to hundreds of abusive calls on their phones. It's women who make the brave choice to leave, bundling their children into the car, and then are forced to couch-surf and give up their jobs because they have no secure place to call home. This must change, and the perception of family violence must change.

It's revealing that the 2021 national community attitudes surveyfound that, while many Australians—91 per cent—recognise that violence against women is a problem in Australia, only 47 per cent recognise that this is a problem in their own suburb or town. We need to shatter the perception that family violence happens elsewhere and not in your own backyard. Ten days of paid family violence leave is the Albanese government's first step in supporting women and men experiencing domestic violence. I am proud that, when I was mayor of the Surf Coast Shire, we were the first employer in the world to introduce this reform. I'd like to recognise the member for Cooper, who, in her former role as the ACTU president, helped to achieve this groundbreaking reform. Now it's enshrined in our nation's federal legislation.

But there's so much more to do and the Albanese government understands this. That's where our National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children comes in. It provides a blueprint for the whole of society and an all-levels-of-government approach to end violence against women and children in just one generation. In rolling out this plan, I am proud that in the two successive budgets the Albanese government has made is a record investment of $2.3 billion for a range of initiatives to end violence against women and children. These include investments in prevention, because we know that prevention is the key to generational change. And so we have legislated for a positive duty on employers to take a proactive role in ensuring their workplaces are free of harassment.

We're investing in consent and respectful relationships education in schools and communities across the nation. We're also investing in early intervention and responses to domestic violence because we know they're so important to prevent violence from occurring and escalating. We're improving access and quality of support to those seeking urgent help via the family and domestic violence helpline, the 1800RESPECT line. And we're providing support to small businesses through the Small Business, Big Impact podcast released last week, to give them the skill set to support employees who may be suffering from family violence. I strongly encourage all my local small business owners to listen to this podcast. The other area which we're investing in is healing and recovery, because healing and recovery lead to breaking the cycle of ongoing violence, supporting women so they do not return to a violent situation and giving them the tools to move on with their lives.

I would like to acknowledge our unions, which have fought so hard for paid family and domestic violence leave through the Fair Work Commission. And I would like to acknowledge the amazing work done in this space by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and by the Minister for Social Services. Finally, I would like to acknowledge all the victim-survivors who have raised their voices to inform government, educate community and empower our institutions to do better. Our government recognises that elevating the voices of victims and survivors is a key driver to changing our nation's culture and the perception of domestic and family violence.

The Albanese government is committed to a country free of gender based violence, where all people can live free from fear and violence and be safe at home, at work, at school, in the community and, of course, online. We acknowledge the lives of those lost to gender based violence and we commit to working to create an Australia where women and children can live their lives freely and safely in all environments. We must all commit to the view that women should not experience violence—that it is not inevitable and it is not acceptable.

Finally, I would like to share some of the words of those victim-survivors contained in the opening statement of our national plan:

Abuse and violence is a problem for victims, but it is not the victims' problem. Genuine change begins with a willingness to listen. We must stop protecting perpetrators with our silence, and through inaction. We must be willing to sit in discomfort. It is time to be brave.

It is time to act.

Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Gender based violence is unacceptable. Violence against women is unacceptable. These things really should not be controversial at all. If there's anything that all of us in this House can agree on, surely this is it, and yet the current numbers are staggering. One in four women has experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 15. One in four women has experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of 15. One in five women has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 and one in six women, and one in nine men, has experienced physical or sexual abuse before the age of 15. And one in six women has experienced economic abuse by a cohabiting partner.

However, the most egregious number I have is 31. Thirty-one women have been killed by gender based violence this year alone, and we're only two-thirds through the year. Last year the number was 56. The killing needs to stop. The violence needs to stop. The amount of suffering being experienced by women across our country is truly heartbreaking, and the lack of change is demoralising.

The Albanese government has not shied away from the dire reality of the situation, and we have taken on the responsibility of supporting women struggling with domestic and intimate partner violence. We're taking this seriously because we understand that, without support and resources, women will continue to be abused and killed. We are taking steps to address this issue and implement the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. Domestic and family violence is the main reason women and children leave their homes in Australia and is the leading cause of homelessness in children. We will invest $100 million under the Housing Australia Future Fund to address this. We are implementing all recommendations from the Respect@Work report because Commonwealth Parliamentary workplaces should be a positive example and set the standard for all Australian workplaces. We've legislated a positive duty on employers to ensure their workplaces are safe for all employees and free of harassment.

We are investing in consent and respectful relationships education in schools to ensure that we are challenging gender based biases before they become deeply ingrained. This means our children will be taught how to respect and support future partners. It aims to bring about a cultural change required to curb the number of perpetrators of intimate partner violence in the future but also to empower those who experience violence, either now or in the future, to recognise that it is wrong and that they do have options and rights and to take action. We're improving the support offered by 1800RESPECT and have already expanded it to be able to assist people experiencing workplace sexual harassment. We are funding direct assistance in the form of $39.6 million for additional support through the Escaping Violence Payment program, $25 million over five years for innovative sponsors to address the behaviour of perpetrators and $12.6 million over two years to extend the program assisting temporary visa holders who experience family, domestic and sexual violence. These are just some of the measures the Albanese government is working on so that we can achieve our goal of ending gender-based violence within one generation. It's an ambitious goal, and we have a lot of catching up to do, but, if we all work together, we can achieve it.

Within this long list of actions we are taking is our commitment to instituting 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. This policy has been in place for large and medium businesses since the beginning of February this year, and now we're bringing this into effect for small business as well. From 1 August, all Australian workers have access to paid domestic violence leave. We are changing our nation's narrative around this issue and providing support to those who desperately need it. Victim-survivors leaving or thinking about leaving violent relationships need to be able to attend lawyers, counsellors, financial counsellors and banks and make the arrangements for a safe escape. One of the most dangerous times for a victim of domestic violence is when they make the decision to leave. Up to 75 per cent of abused women who are murdered are killed after they leave. It is an exceptionally dangerous but courageous thing to do.

Importantly, family and domestic violence leave is available for people working casually because we know that family and domestic violence can impact anyone and women, who are often the victim-survivors, are overrepresented in the casual workforce. They also need to know that they will have an income after they have left, because poverty and not knowing how they will survive and where they will go is one of the major reasons that women don't leave and one of the major reasons that they go back to a violent household and a violent partner after they have left.

Paid family and domestic violence leave is one step in ensuring that a woman does not need to choose between her job and her safety. Small business have had an extra six months to adjust to the changes in leave entitlements in recognition of the fact that many do not have the same human resource capacity as large businesses. To ensure that smaller business do have resources required to make the arrangements to administer the leave effectively, the Albanese government has provided a range of supports and guidance from the Fair Work Ombudsman.

To further support small businesses the Australian government and Lifeline Australia have released a fantastic podcast called Small Business, Big Impact on how to support employees experiencing family and domestic violence. The podcast is a helpful tool that small businesses can utilise to prepare for conversations about paid family and domestic violence leave, including how they can best support their employees. In each podcast episode, the host, Gretel Killeen, speaks with an expert guest to discuss the signs of domestic violence and how employers can talk to their employees about it. I would encourage small businesses in my electorate to make use of this.

The government have also commissioned the website smallbusiness.10dayspaidfdvleave.com.au specifically to assist small businesses with this transition and provide information. Existing government funded services, like 1800RESPECT and DV-alert, will continue to support business and their employees while dealing with family and domestic violence. These supports are a vital part of our plan to implement this change to leave entitlements. We want to work together with small businesses so that they are empowered to play an important role in eradicating DV.

I often speak in this place about my time as CEO of Catherine House, but many years earlier I also ran women's health and safety services for SA Health. This role included a number of women's health services which also provided domestic violence services and a perpetrator rehabilitation unit. I saw the impact that psychological abuse had on women—strong, confident and capable women—who, after years of manipulation, found themselves paralysed, fearful and unable to think of a way to save themselves. I saw the impact that financial abuse had on women who, although sometimes working themselves, had no financial resources to buy themselves lunch, let alone fund a way to escape. They had no access to bank accounts and no access to credit cards. I saw the impact of social isolation on women whose own families thought they had abandoned them and whose friends had drifted away after they repeatedly missed catch-ups because they weren't able or allowed to leave the house. I saw firsthand the impact a strong support network, or lack thereof, had on a woman's ability to survive and escape a violent relationship. I saw how all of these factors, all of these abuses, come together to keep victims-survivors trapped. And I saw how it sometimes ended in tragedy—56 last year and 31 this year so far. This has to stop.

Every year the Pay Our Respects group organises a vigil on the steps of the South Australian Parliament House. Each woman of the group represents one woman killed in Australia in the past year. Their names and a little bit about their lives are read out. We do this because they're not just numbers. They are real people with names, with families and with friends. Each year we say that we hope we won't have to be here again next year. And each year we are back again, reciting the names of more women who have been killed.

Lives lost. Futures lost. Families and friends in mourning. Communities and neighbourhoods in shock. The violence has to stop. This government is committed to making it so.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 1 August small-business employees gained access to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. This occurred after years and years of advocacy by unions, stakeholders and victims-survivors. It's applicable to workers who are working full time, part time or on a casual basis, and it is not pro rata. It is available upfront. It is not accrued, and it certainly doesn't carry over year after year. It replaces a previous entitlement of five days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave. It means that small businesses in Australia, all five million or so of them, are now aligned with the seven million people who work in large and medium business around the country.

Why did we do this? We did this because around 800,000 women, we think, experience the physical and mental health impacts of family and domestic violence. It is likely an underestimate. We do know that one in four women before the age of 15 experience intimate partner violence, and this has further impacts on their social and economic participation. It results in a disrupted work history, which leads to an entrenchment of casual and part-time work, and that then has further, outsized impacts on a woman as she progresses through her working life—principally, less pay, lower income, fewer assets, less super. Is it any surprise, then, that family and domestic violence is a potent driver of homelessness and the risk of homelessness for women and children?

There are several resources available to small business owners. One is 1800RESPECT. It is a national service. There is Lifeline and women's legal services; there is Kids Helpline, specific to children; and there is a men's line, called MensLine Australia. I highlight these because small businesses have a huge role in being upstanders in helping to identify the clues and the signs of domestic violence in their workers. I just want to go through some of these. It's quite informative.

Some of the signs that are worth picking up on are workers who do not turn up to work or turn up late. In other words, there's a change in their usual behaviour. These workers and victims may have trouble concentrating. Why would that happen? Concussion is one reason that would happen. Severe trauma is another reason why workers would struggle with concentration, as well as choking injuries to the neck, which can lead to anoxia of the brain. These are clues that are worth staying across.

You might find that your workers are making mistakes that are uncharacteristic of them. So you'll see perhaps a change in the quantity or quality of their work. Things like bruises, black eyes and broken bones are obviously red flags, but they may not be obvious. Why? Because victims often conceal these injuries or apply make-up. Then there will be signs of emotional distress, and that may manifest as unusual quietness, isolation or withdrawal from co-workers, and repeated bouts of emotional lability, particularly tearfulness, at unexpected times, even uncharacteristically, or disproportionate to whatever has been done or said.

You may notice that workers are receiving an unusual number of emails or texts and are moving away from their co-workers in order to respond to these. There may be an abrupt change in their address. They may also be receiving unwelcome visits at the workplace from the perpetrator, and this in itself will incite a very strong negative reaction from the victim.

Then there are features of coercive control. Limited access to money is one—a survivor not having any money at work or no access to an ATM card, perhaps skipping meals because they can't afford their lunch. Then of course there will be restrictions on movement. These workers may not turn up to social functions, for example, because they are being prevented from doing so by the perpetrator.

I think it's really important that employers are alive to these clues and, also, are prepared to have difficult conversations. These are conversations that I had to have thousands of times in my career. The first advice I'd give you is to be prepared. Understand what your obligations are, hence circle back to those resources, particularly the ones I mentioned but also the Fair Work Ombudsman's website, which is very useful. Make sure these conversations are treated confidentially and keep repeating that. Create a private space to have these conversations and do them in person. Why? These sorts of conversations are not done online or over the phone because you miss those paraverbal clues that convey probably more than the language itself. Also, when a victim is facing another person through a screen, they have to maintain eye contact and gaze, and that in itself can be quite traumatising for victims, who may want to turn away or withdraw every now and then. It's just not conducive to having these difficult conversations. So I would caution against that.

In terms of your opening lines, they might be: 'I've noticed a change. Is everything okay? How are you going generally?' Keep it broad, keep it general, but be empathetic and be patient. Understand that your employee may not disclose anything in that first conversation, but extend the invitation that you're always available to talk to them. Ask your employee if there's anything else you can do to ensure that the workplace is safe for them and for others. It may be useful to schedule regular wellbeing check-ins with all your employees, so that no single person feels like they are being singled out at a time of distress, as that can actually heighten their own distress.

I think it's also important to understand that these conversations are not easy for anyone, and, when a person is traumatised, they may only absorb 10 to 20 per cent of what you're actually saying, so it does need to be repeated. I've often followed things up with something written that I hand to the person, so that they can go away and reflect on that document.

Obviously, do not be judgemental and do not push people. Just listen, and realise that you are not a professional counsellor—you are their boss; you are their employer—but understand your obligations and also understand how you should direct victims to the professional support services around them.

I would also say that, once your employee has taken out domestic violence leave, you don't necessarily have to keep an ongoing connection. You need to take the lead from your employee. They may not want to talk to you during that period, because they're sorting out their life or seeking assistance and support from elsewhere. If you do want to keep in touch, ask them how they want you to keep in touch. It may be that the traditional or conventional phone is not the appropriate platform. They may want an encrypted platform to have that conversation with you. So it's worth asking those questions.

A person experiencing family or domestic violence often will not leave an abusive partner in the first instance. So do not wade into judgements around the perpetrator. Avoid it. It is difficult, particularly when there are children involved. Victim-survivors are most at risk of harm, and indeed death—noting that, on average, one woman is murdered every week by a current or former partner—when they actually leave their partner, so be aware of that.

In addition, having these conversations can also put a significant burden on you as an employer. I think it's important that employers are aware they need to actually look after themselves. Self-care is incredibly important, because vicarious traumatisation is a thing.

I'll conclude by saying that we, in the Albanese government, have invested in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, and we've invested a record amount of $2.7 billion, but governments alone cannot fix this problem. It's now up to the people, including small-business owners, to breathe life into this plan. We all have a role to play. We cannot be bystanders. The information is out there. Seek it out, educate yourselves and stand up.

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

I am very pleased to be able to rise in this chamber to speak on the family and domestic violence leave statements. I think I'd like to start by firstly acknowledging the profound and ongoing impacts of family and domestic violence in Australia. This year, we've already seen 33 women lose their lives through acts of violence. This is an issue affecting women of every age; from every cultural background; with different jobs and different levels of education; living in different suburbs, towns, and cities; leading different lives—but all with their lives cut way too short. Too many women and children are living in fear in their own homes because of the violence and coercion they are experiencing there, in the very place they should expect to feel safe.

Things have to change. No-one should be living in terror each and every day or living in fear that the person who purports to love them is in fact the most dangerous threat in their lives. That's why our Labor government, under the leadership of Minister Amanda Rishworth, has been working very closely with all the state and territory governments who have a shared commitment to ending violence against women and children in one generation. It is a big commitment, it is ambitious, but it should absolutely not be beyond us to ensure that women and children are not subjected to violence and coercion in the next generation.

The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children is the second national plan, of course, and I would like to acknowledge the work of the former Labor minister for women, my friend and colleague Julie Collins, the member for Franklin and current Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness and Minister for Small Business, who saw us through with the first of the national plans, in any Australian parliament, to end violence against women and children. She help established Our Watch; ANROWS, an important body to ensure that we had the very best research and materials at hand; and gender reporting legislation—all very important hallmarks in ensuring that we not just put an end to violence and coercion but also tackle the very drivers of that violence, which we know includes gender inequality. We now have our second national plan to end violence against women and children, and this will take us through the period from 2022 to 2032. It provides us with a blueprint for a whole-of-society approach—an all-levels-of-government approach—to end violence against women and children, as I said, within one generation.

I'm really pleased that, over two successive budgets, our Labor government has made a record investment of $2.3 billion for a range of initiatives to end violence against women and children. We know that prevention is key for generational and important societal change. Investments in early intervention are so important to actually stopping violence from occurring and escalating. We're also making investments in terms of response so that women have a place to go and the support they need to leave a violent situation, which is often one of the most terrifying decisions for women because we know the real risk and danger is when you've actually made the decision to leave—that's when you are at most risk.

The other area we're investing in, which is critically important, is healing and recovery because investment here leads to breaking that cycle of ongoing violence and stops women potentially returning to violent circumstances. We know it's not just about addressing the acute effects of violence; it's also important to tackle the gender inequality that drives gendered violence. That's why you will see gender equality at the centre of this government's thinking. We have a majority of women in government for the first time in Australia's history since Federation. We have more women in a federal cabinet than ever before. So this is never an add-on extra for Labor; gender equity is at the front and centre of all our thinking in all policies and all work that we do.

To get rid of gender inequality, we're tackling that on a number of fronts. Firstly, we're implementing all the recommendations of the Respect@Work report because it's crucial all workplaces in Australia should be safe and respectful places to work and should reflect best practice in terms of the prevention of sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault. We've legislated for a positive duty on employers to provide workplaces free of harassment. I mean, who would have thought that was a radical idea? Yet, sadly, the opposition did not support us in seeking a positive duty to ensure that workplaces are free of sexual harassment.

We're investing in consent and respectful relationships education in schools, as well as broadly across the population. We're also implementing improvements to offer support to 1800RESPECT, meeting the needs of those people who experience workplace sexual harassment.

Of course, leaving a violent relationship can be, as I mentioned earlier, one of the most dangerous times for women. It's one of the most dangerous times not just for women but for their families and everyone they love around them. In addition to the safety implications, women face multiple and systemic barriers when leaving a violent relationship. That decision can lead to homelessness, economic insecurity, social isolation and the loss of employment, income, assets and support networks. These are huge barriers, all of which we can do something about. We must change this so that women feel safer to leave a violent home.

This week we marked the beginning of paid domestic violence leave for all workers in all businesses, including casual workers. I could not be more proud of this moment for the Australian people. This access to paid leave will make a practical difference for women escaping family and domestic violence, who now will not have to choose between their job and having time off work to deal with family and domestic violence. Those legal appointments, interviews at the police station, moving your kids' school, and finding and dealing with real estate are all time-consuming, and women need paid leave to do that. I am so pleased that we have seen businesses, both big and small, embracing the start of paid domestic and family violence leave, because this leave will save lives and it's an important step towards our goal of ending violence against women and children.

To assist in the change with this new paid leave, the government has just released a new podcast, in partnership with Lifeline Australia, titled Small Business, Big Impact: How to Support Employees Experiencing Family and Domestic Violence. The podcast is hosted by Gretel Killeen, a great advocate and voice for Australian women. The podcast, designed for small business, has been guided by experts from the family and domestic violence sector alongside representatives from small business and their peak bodies. It'll help to prepare small-business owners for those important conversations in their workplaces about paid family and domestic violence leave and how they're going to be able to support their employees. That's usually what employers want to be able to do: ensure that they're there to be able to support good people working for them that they want to retain and keep in a safe working and living environment.

I want to give a shout-out to the amazing women who—along with their representative union, the ASU—for 10 years visited us in Parliament House to talk to us about the need for this paid family and domestic violence leave. We couldn't get it through in the former government. I've been here for nine years trying to advocate for this leave. So it was with real joy that, with the election of the Labor government, we were finally able to bring this to fruition. The Albanese Labor government is deeply committed to a country free of gender based violence where all people live free from the fear of violence and they are safe at home, at work, at school, in the community and wherever they live and go. We should not accept anything less than that, ever.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Statements have concluded.