Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) | Link to this | Hansard source

I call on all states and territories to put in place legislation to make coercive control a specific offence, and it's in line with protecting women. We have offences for assaults. Anyone who has been the victim of an assault, especially in a family violence situation, can take out an intervention order. I congratulate New South Wales; they have coercive control legislation in place for specific offences. I know Queensland will bring in this offence in 2025. Victoria must do the same.

As the shadow minister for multicultural affairs, I go to many multicultural events and speak to many women. The sad reality out there—and I won't name any specific groups—is there are so-called cultural customs or beliefs where women may not have the same rights as men. I very much point this out to the women, and the women say to me, 'You can tell us, but go and tell the blokes too.' The sad reality out there—and I've seen and experienced this firsthand in my office square—is you can have a situation where the control is not only that you are not allowed to leave the house or, if you do leave the house, you are asked where you are going and who you're going to be meeting with; you're not allowed to get a job or a drivers licence. If they apply with Immigration, they don't even see any emails from the immigration department; their passports are held. It's very much coercive control.

I congratulate Victoria Police because I know that, when these matters have been reported to them, they have taken very firm action when it comes to intervention orders. The only thing I say to Victoria Police on what is needed is: keep the victims informed of what is going on. I've had victims come to me and say: 'There's been an intervention order put in place. There's a court date.' They then believe they have to go to court and represent themselves and are not actually aware that Victoria Police will be representing them.

We need more to be done in this place. I know all governments are trying to do their utmost, but I really call on the Victorian government to take action in this space. I acknowledge that the previous Liberal government committed $3.4 billion in the Women's Budget Statement. On all sides we need to do more, especially when it comes to coercive control. It is devastating not only for the women involved but for their children, because everything is controlled.