Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What women want is to be safe. What women want for their children is for them to also be safe. What women don't want is safe spaces being shut down. Today, the Safe Night Space in East Perth will be closed. It is shocking that the City of Perth is shutting its doors to vulnerable women. Safe Night Space has provided a vital safety haven for women from all over Perth who are fleeing domestic violence. If it were not for the Safe Night Space, those women would have been on the street or worse.

Nine women in WA have been killed by domestic violence this year. They no longer have a voice. I stand here today on their behalf to condemn the decision by the City of Perth to close its doors on women. I condemn the position of Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas to ignore the pleas of the community to keep it open. Closing doors on vulnerable women, particularly during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, is so outrageous. It comes despite the efforts to stand together, united, to protect women. At all levels of government we need to act. Everyone has a part to play, and I call on the mayor to play his part and step in before it's too late. I call on the mayor to overturn this decision and not put more women at risk.