Kara Cook (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the member for Lingiari, I move:

That this House:

(1) commends the Government for launching Our WaysStrong WaysOur Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026-2036, a plan which is:

(a) Australia's first standalone plan that strives for a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children can live free from violence;

(b) developed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and state and territory governments; and

(c) backed by $218.3 million in new funding, that as an immediate step will invest in a national network of up to 40 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to deliver community-led specialist support services;

(2) recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been:

(a) steadfast in their advocacy to be safe and to be heard; and

(b) calling for strong action;

(3) further recognises that the Government is doing just that by funding support programs like:

(a) mobile teams in remote areas to work with families after a violent incident, or offer safe transport and emergency accommodation;

(b) plans to help victims leave violence safely and continued support once they have;

(c) community playgroups where mums and bubs can connect with elders, receive parenting support, and be linked to early help and healing; and

(d) behavioural change and education, like outreach programs for men and boys;

(4) notes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women face unique and significant barriers to getting help, and are:

(a) seven times more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide; and

(b) 27 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence, which increases to 41 times more likely in regional and very remote communities;

(5) further notes that this plan:

(a) will make real progress in addressing Target 13 (family violence) of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and contribute to Target 12 (out-of-home care);

(b) responds to eight recommendations in the Missing and Murdered First Nations women and children inquiry report of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Reference Committee; and

(c) responds to 12 recommendations in the report of the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches, Unlocking the Prevention Potential: Accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence; and

(6) calls on the Parliament to support this vital plan to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children can live free from violence.

I want to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we gather, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. My husband, Josh, is a proud Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, and I stand here today as the proud mum of three First Nations children. It is an absolute honour to speak on this motion moved by me but brought to this place by the member for Lingiari, and I thank her for bringing this motion to the chamber and for her advocacy over decades in advancing the interests of First Nations Australians.

In February I had the profound honour of standing alongside my mother-in-law, Sandra Creamer, as the Albanese Labor government launched Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices, the national plan to end family, domestic and sexual violence against First Nations women and children, right here in Parliament House. I want to acknowledge Sandra and the many, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have been steadfast in their advocacy to be safe, to be heard and to drive change to ensure that this plan became a reality. This plan stands on the shoulders of that advocacy over not years but decades. It is Australia's first standalone plan dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. It is a genuine partnership between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and it is backed by a $218.3 million investment in new funding to deliver real change on the ground.

The reality we are confronting is devastating in our country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are seven times more likely to be murdered by their partners than non-Indigenous women and 27 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence, rising to 41 times more likely in remote and regional communities. This is not just a policy challenge. It is a national crisis, and it demands action. Every woman and child deserves to live free from violence. That is not negotiable.

This plan is not just about responding to violence. It is about listening and acting. For decades, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have told us what is needed—community led solutions, culturally safe services and systems that respect their voices through extensive consultation, including direct engagement with women, communities and even children and young people. This plan reflects those voices. It reflects a simple truth—that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children are not just victims or survivors of this crisis; they are central to the solutions. As has been said for generations, they are the nurturers, the teachers, the protectors and the carriers of culture and identity, even in the face of profound adversity.

This plan turns those voices into action. It invests in a national network of up to 40 Aboriginal community controlled organisations, delivering specialist, culturally safe, community led services because we know that real change happens when communities lead that change. It funds practical immediate supports, mobile outreach teams in remote areas, safe transport and emergency accommodation so that, when violence occurs, women and children can access help quickly and safely. It supports women to leave violent situations and, importantly, to stay safe after they leave. It invests in early intervention through initiatives like community playgroups, where mothers and young children can connect with elders, accessing parenting support, and link to early help and healing. It backs prevention through programs that work with men and boys to challenge harmful behaviours and build respectful relationships.

This plan also recognises the importance of healing the impacts of intergenerational trauma. Dispossession and discrimination are real, and they continue to shape the experiences of many communities, but so too does the strength of culture, connection and country. That is why healing programs grounded in culture and led by community are central to this plan.

Importantly, this plan is not operating in isolation. It does contribute to Closing the Gap, particularly target 13, to reduce family violence, and target 12, to reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. Labor promised to deliver this plan and we have delivered it. The work is not over. It is just beginning.

Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Family and domestic violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a grave and an urgent issue. But acknowledging the problem is not the same as solving it. The motion in front of me today asks the House to commend a government that has consistently failed to deliver the real outcomes. The motion commends announcements, plans and funding, but it actually ignores the real-world outcomes.

The government is very good at launching plans but far less effective at delivering results, because, as we all know, more Labor announcements and more spending don't automatically mean better outcomes. We continue to see national plans, action frameworks, advisory groups and consultation processes, but, despite all of this, many of the key Closing the Gap targets are not actually going the right direction. They're going backwards. Community safety outcomes are not improving at the pace that our communities expect. Announcing the program is not the same as delivering a result.

The motion asks the House to commend new funding and new programs, but what we've seen is that the government's developed a pattern of avoiding scrutiny when it comes to existing Indigenous programs. For the first time in 17 years, there were no standalone Senate estimates hearings for cross-portfolio Indigenous matters. We've seen the deliberate removal of a key mechanism here, one that's designed to test spending, to examine outcomes and to hold ministers and their departments accountable. We all know that we need to make sure that the taxpayer money that is being invested in these programs is actually getting the result not only for taxpayers but for the communities and the individuals to whom the programs are targeted. This isn't administrative oversight. It's a conscious decision which avoids scrutiny. The government has shut down dedicated scrutiny in one of the most critical policy areas. They've reduced visibility over how billions in taxpayer funds are being used.

Now, what have we seen in terms of the spending in this space? We've seen a government that's allocated $218.3 million in funding for these services. But, given the track record of the government, it would be remiss of me not to question whether this spending will be effective—because what have we seen in the broader pattern of this government's spending on Indigenous programs? We've seen billions spent across Indigenous programs, and I'm sure that that is out of genuine concern. I don't think those on this side of the House would question that. But we have seen worsening outcomes. We've seen the $300 million A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia Plan, but we don't think that that's actually made Central Australia better or safer. We've seen a $730,000 bill for the First Nations ambassador's travel expenses over just two years, but I'm still waiting to hear the answer to the question about what outcomes that spending delivered on.

Importantly, we get up in this place—and we're very privileged to be here—once every year and we talk about Closing the Gap and Closing the Gap targets, but there's very little effort that goes into assessing how we're going on those targets and calling out the real issues that are preventing us from meeting those targets. We've got four—just four—of the 19 Closing the Gap targets that are on track. If you look at the key indicators that are going backwards, these are serious areas that should be of concern. We're seeing key indicators going backwards in terms of incarceration, suicide, child development, out-of-home care and others.

We as the coalition want to work constructively with the government on this because it's in the interests of all Australians. But we need to make sure that we're putting forward policies that don't just congratulate ourselves like this motion does but that stand in a way that's going to make lives better for Indigenous Australians—not just throw money at problems that are not being solved. I say to the government that standing here commending the government for spending on a new program, a new initiative or a new framework is not necessarily something that we should be proud of. I'd like to see the results first, and then I'd be more than happy to support a motion like this.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I get into the policy and delivery aspects, I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners here in Canberra, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, but also of the electorate that I'm honoured to represent, greater Darwin, the Larrakia people.

I was privileged in February to attend the launch of 'Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices', the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander plan to end family, domestic and sexual violence over the next decade. It was a wonderful event where I connected with a lot of old friends—First Nations elders, legends, both from the Territory and from around the country—but I also made some new friends. There was one thing everyone had in common, which is to end the violence. The launch was inspirational. Maybe if the previous speaker, the member for McPherson, had attended that event and talked to and listened to some of the elders there, he might have some ideas.

The vision that was set out in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children is to end gender based violence in one generation. Under the national plan, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan was developed, which aimed to address the immediate needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Comprehensive consultation was undertaken—that's the listening part—with community to develop 'Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices'. A driving factor in its development was that the government listened deeply and heard what is needed now: community led solutions that are flexible and grounded in best practice and local decision-making. The old saying that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we could do double the amount of listening as we do speaking is a good one for a very good reason.

Regardless of the politics that some people on the other side still like to play with this issue, the reality is that there are complex issues at play and we need a coordinated and bipartisan focus. So I am pleased that the our ways plan was endorsed by the Commonwealth and all states and territories in late 2025. That even included the Liberal led states and territories. I look forward to working with the Northern Territory CLP government and other stakeholders to implement the plan and to deliver the plan because we all need to be working together. But we also need those jurisdictions to take action, and, whilst we want to work in a bipartisan way, people must be accountable for their lack of action.

One of the main commitments that I took to the 2022 election was funding from the Commonwealth to establish a youth engagement hub in the northern suburbs of my electorate in Darwin. But, with the change of government to the CLP, nothing was done until last week. After almost 18 months, they put out a media release to say that they've chosen a new location for the youth engagement hub—despite the fact that it was shovel ready to build—and they would be doing something at some point in the future. So I think that governments need to be accountable. We're approaching this in a bipartisan way.

I was extremely pleased last week to attend the opening of the Turtle Back program in the other city in my electorate, Palmerston. The Turtle Back program is funded by the Albanese Labor government, with almost $2 million supporting the trial program for adolescent boys. The federal government is funding these community led programs, which will get great results. I want to thank my colleague Minister Tanya Plibersek—the member for Sydney and Minister for Social Services—for her support for that program. I also want to thank Kat Lee and her team at Grassroots Action Palmerston for their fantastic work, which absolutely will get results. Let's see some more action and a collaborative effort to end violence while we can.

Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion, and I thank the member for Lingiari for the opportunity to do so. 'Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices' is Australia's first standalone national plan for ending family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, developed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It provides $218 million in new funding for a national network of up to 40 Aboriginal community controlled organisations to deliver community led specialist support services.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are seven times more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide. They're 27 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence—41 times in regional and very remote communities. In Victoria, the state that I represent, in the year to March 2025, family incidents involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people increased by almost 15 per cent against an overall Victorian family violence figure that itself hit a record high. In Victoria, family violence is the single biggest driver of First Nations child removal; 88 per cent of First Nations children in home care have experienced family violence. That figure is an indictment on decades of policy failure and its intergenerational cost.

Victoria is one of only two Australian jurisdictions with an Aboriginal-specific strategy on ending family violence. Funding to ACCOs for family violence and sexual assault service delivery has increased tenfold since 2017-18 and Aboriginal access points operated by organisations like VACCA and the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative have opened in multiple sites. But these organisations have consistently raised concerns about the lack of ongoing funding for community prevention projects, the competitive process by which funding is administered and the need to reapply for funding every year—with successful projects often funded only as pilots rather than as ongoing programs. You cannot build a sustained response to intergenerational trauma on annual grant rounds. Victoria's royal commission found that lack of funding and short-term funding cycles was undermining efforts for prevention and early intervention, and that insufficient investment in evaluation meant that it was impossible to evaluate target resources appropriately.

That finding is now a decade old, but the structural problem it identified has not been resolved. The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency has documented that Aboriginal women and children who are fleeing violence often don't feel culturally safe when they engage with mainstream providers. They're often forced to retell their stories across multiple services, and on occasion they have experienced discrimination when seeking emergency accommodation.

So the gap between policy aspiration and lived reality continues to affect women and children in the community at a state and federal level. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have consistently called for action through the Senate inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations Women and Children and, more recently, through the rapid review of prevention approaches.

This plan is a long-awaited response to eight recommendations from that former inquiry and 12 from the latter, and it provides, for the first time, a genuine framework to address our obligations under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap—specifically, target 13 on family violence and target 12 on out-of-home care. The plan will fund mobile teams in remote areas after violent incidents. It will fund safer transport and emergency accommodation, planning to help victims leave violence and stay safe, and community playgroups where mothers and babies can connect with elders, receive parenting support and be linked into early health and healing. The plan also includes outreach programs for men and boys, because ending violence means changing behaviour, not only managing its consequences.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been steadfast for decades in their advocacy for a plan like this. During that time they have buried daughters and sisters while they have worked and called for action. They deserve a parliament that is equally as steadfast in its response. So I commend this motion to the chamber.

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm supporting this motion from my good friend the member for Lingiari, and I want to commend her for a long, steadfast advocacy for the safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children and communities. This motion is important because it recognises something that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been saying for decades. They have been calling to be heard, for safety and for action that is led by the community, grounded in culture and shaped by lived experience.

That is why the launch of Our Way—Strong Ways—Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026-2036 is such an important step forward. This is the first standalone national plan focused specifically on ending family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. It has been developed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and with states and territories, and it's backed up by serious investment. Most importantly, it's built on the principles that lasting change must come from listening to the communities and backing community led solutions.

The statistics before the House are very confronting. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are far more likely to be victims of intimate-partner homicide. They are far more likely to be hospitalised because of family violence, and the risks are even greater in rural and regional remote communities. Behind every statistic is a life, a family, a child, a community carrying trauma that no-one should ever have to bear. As Special Envoy for Men's Health, I want to speak to one part of this motion in particular, which is that it recognises that we must engage men and boys if we are serious about ending violence. We cannot talk honestly about family, domestic and sexual violence without talking about men's behaviour, responsibility and the need to intervene.

Violence is always a choice. Nothing excuses it. If we want prevention, we must understand the pathways that can lead some men and boys towards using violence and must act earlier to change that path. That is where men's health perspective matters. Good men's health is not just about physical health. It's also about social and emotional wellbeing, connection, healing, respectful relationships and teaching boys that strength is shown through self-control, empathy and responsibility.

Too often, poor mental health, unresolved trauma, substance misuse and rigid ideas about masculinity can combine in very destructive ways. None of that removes accountability, but it tells us that, if we want to stop violence before it starts, we need to support men and boys earlier, particularly those dealing with trauma and disconnect. That is why this plan's investment in programs that help men take responsibility for their actions and build respectful relationships is so important. That's why men's wellness centres, community based healing programs and culturally grounded initiatives matter. And that's why Aboriginal community controlled organisations must be at the centre of this work. The plan also recognises that support must be practical, with mobile teams in remote areas, safe transport and emergency accommodation for women and children to leave violence safely, and support for children to heal from this trauma. Community playgroups where mums and bubs can connect with elders and access early support are also vital.

I also want to acknowledge the women whose strength and advocacy have brought us to this point. For generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried communities through hardship. They have been protectors, they have been teachers and they have been leaders. This plan stands on their shoulders. I thank the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations who helped shape this work, including the steering committee and the community controlled sector. Their leadership gives this plan its strength. This plan also matters because it aligns with Closing the Gap, contributes to reducing family violence and responds to calls for action from key inquiries and reviews. Parliament should support this plan because it's practical and community led.

For those of us who care about men's health, this is also a reminder that the health of men and boys is so important for the safety of women and children. If we want a safer future, we must back women, protect children and help men change. That is what this plan does and that is why I strongly support this motion.

Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion and acknowledge the member for Lingiari for bringing this significant matter before the House. At its heart, this motion speaks to something fundamental: the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children to live safely, free from violence. The 'Our Ways—Strong Ways—Our Voices' plan represents a significant step forward. It is the first dedicated national framework focused specifically on ending family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Importantly, it has been developed in genuine partnership with communities.

That partnership matters. For too long, responses have been shaped without fully listening to those most affected. This plan reflects a different approach—one that places Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices at the centre. We are here because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have led the way. They have spoken out, shared their experiences and called for action, and this plan answers that call. The government's investment into Aboriginal community-controlled organisations recognises that communities themselves are best placed to lead. These organisations are trusted, culturally grounded and deeply connected to the people they serve.

In my electorate of Barton, we see this leadership in action. Organisations such as Alawa Aboriginal Corporation, along with other First Nations services across the electorate and neighbouring electorates, play a vital role in supporting women and families. They deliver not just services but culturally safe spaces where people feel understood and supported. Recently I had the opportunity to meet with Shaylee Matthews and Charlene Mckenzie from Alawa Aboriginal Corporation. We spoke at length about the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experiencing domestic and family violence. What stood out in that conversation was just how complex these challenges are. It's not just about leaving a violent situation; it is about access to safe housing and about staying connected to culture and community, about trust in the system and about ensuring that support services are culturally appropriate and accessible. They spoke about the barriers women face: fear, isolation and the difficulty of navigating systems that are not always designed with their needs in mind. But they also spoke about strength—the strength of women who are seeking safety for themselves and their children, the strength of the communities coming together to support one another and the strength of Aboriginal led organisations working tirelessly, often with limited resources, to meet these needs.

This plan backs that work, because the statistics we are dealing with are deeply confronting. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience significantly higher rates of violence, hospitalisation and, tragically, loss of life due to family violence. These are not just figures; they represent real people, real families and real communities. Addressing this requires more than a one-size-fits-all response. It requires solutions that are designed with community, delivered by community and grounded in cultural understanding. That is what this plan seeks to do—from mobile outreach services and emergency accommodation to programs that support women to leave violence safely and rebuild their lives. These initiatives are practical and necessary. Equally important are the preventive measures—programs that support families early, strengthen connections to culture and engage men and boys in addressing the root causes of violence. Prevention is key to long-term change. This plan also aligns with our commitments under Closing the Gap, particularly in reducing family violence and supporting the wellbeing of children and families.

But, beyond frameworks and targets, this is about people. It is about ensuring that every woman feels safe, that every child grows up free from fear and that communities are empowered to lead their own healing. I also want to acknowledge Aunty Barbara Simms-Keeley, a Bidjigal, Gweagal and Wandi Wandi elder who has generously shared her life story with many people in my electorate of Barton. Aunty Barb spoke of not only the challenges that many Aboriginal women face in dealing with domestic and family violence but also the strength and the resilience from within the community, those in advocacy and community organisations and on the frontlines who have driven this work forward. Their voices are reflected in this plan. Our responsibility is to ensure that this is not just a plan on paper; it must translate into real outcomes, with funding reaching the ground, services being strengthened and communities being supported over the long term.

Debate adjourned.