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

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to tackle gender based violence?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Boothby for her question. She will be leading a very important inquiry with her social policy and legal affairs committee shortly into the intersection between family, domestic and sexual violence and suicide. I thank her and the committee for that work. Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and I want to start by acknowledging every victim-survivor, every frontline worker who has assisted them and, most sadly, those who we have lost in recent years and decades.

Today, the Albanese Labor government announced a 40 per cent funding boost for 1800RESPECT. This is a really important investment in a service that began under a former Labor government, during the Gillard years, with 11,000 calls in one year. Last financial year, this service had 342,000 contacts. That is a 3000 per cent increase on the first year that we established 1800RESPECT, 15 years ago. This government, the Albanese government, has invested more than any previous government in addressing family, domestic and sexual violence, including through measures like making the leaving violence payment permanent, introducing legislation to make sure our social security system isn't weaponised against survivors of family and domestic violence and funding programs that intervene earlier with men, adolescent boys and children and particularly those men who want to change their behaviour. We have invested $1.2 billion in emergency and transitional housing to help make it safe for women and children fleeing violence.

We've invested a record $3.9 billion in legal services, including $800 million extra for family violence legal services. We've legislated 10 days paid domestic violence leave and we've made it illegal to sack someone because they're a victim of family or domestic violence. We've reformed the family law system to make the family law system safer, simpler and more accessible for victims of family and domestic violence. And, very importantly, we're working with the states and territories to improve responses to victims of sexual violence. It's one of the areas of crime that continues to rise in a completely unacceptable way. Of course, these investments are beginning to make a difference. We have to acknowledge success when we see it. But do we think we've done enough? Not ever. Not while there is one victim of family, domestic or sexual violence will this government rest. We'll continue to work, and I know those opposite share our belief that every single one of us has a responsibility to act.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I associate the coalition with the remarks of the Minister for Social Services. The coalition appreciates the ongoing funding into 1800RESPECT, which is the first point of contact for anyone who feels unsafe, and thanks the House for their engagement, with so many members talking about this issue from a personal perspective. Yesterday, I spoke on this and read out the names of 74 women who've lost their lives since this time last year. And I made the point then that, if 74 women had lost their lives in a single event, the whole country would pause and say, 'What on earth is going on?' We need to pause every single time this happens, because every single one of those lives is precious. The children are precious and the memories are precious, and we must keep fighting.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the benefit of members: this evening, Parliament House will be illuminated in orange to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the commencement of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign. I invite all members to join me, the President and members of parliament at 8 pm on the forecourt.