Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I move Democrat amendment (6) on sheet 5214:

(6)    Schedule 2, item 2, page 15 (line 26), after “reportable assault”, insert “, or any other conduct amounting to neglect or abuse of any kind,”.

This extends ‘reportable assault’ to be neglect or abuse of any kind. It is not just physical or sexual; it is also psychological or financial, which we understand is a major problem, and it is neglect—so it is neglect and abuse of any kind. We cannot see any good argument for limiting the kind of abuse in the way the government has, and I would be obliged—it is clear the minister is not going to support this—if he could explain why it is that psychological abuse should not also be reported, and, likewise, financial abuse.