Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senators Polley and McAllister, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

  (i) every week a woman dies as a result of domestic violence; according to the Counting Dead Women Project 41 women have died this year—further, one in four women have experienced abuse at the hands of a current or former partner,

  (ii) one of the biggest safeguards for women against domestic violence is employment and economic independence—too often women cannot leave a relationship or are forced to return because of economic insecurity and the fear of homelessness,

  (iii) job losses and the withdrawal of JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments will only exacerbate this social problem which is why it is essential that these payments not be withdrawn prematurely,

  (iv) the Government must invest more in family violence services, and social housing and reduce insecure work to address this issue,

  (v) the Government's abject failure to respond to the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission report on family law and countless other inquiries, and

  (vi) the proposal to abolish the Family Court by merging it with the Federal Circuit Court will only increase the risk of harm to children and victims of domestic violence; and

(b) urges the Government to recognise the gendered impact the pandemic is having on our communities.