Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday I joined with the Leader of the Opposition and the ACT Attorney-General for the launch of the Tara Costigan Foundation. Members may recall that Tara Costigan was killed by her partner in February, one week after the birth of her third child, a beautiful little girl. Her death sent shock waves throughout the Canberra community and generated an overwhelming level of support for her children particularly, and an overwhelming level of concern and awareness about the filthy little shameful secret that is domestic and family violence. Tara Costigan was the 15th woman to be killed by her partner or ex-partner this year in Australia. That figure is now up to 43—that is, one woman being killed by her partner or ex-partner every four days. It is a national disgrace. The foundation will employ a social worker to empower women to take them from being victims to victors. They will be helped through that process by Erin Regan, whose sister was killed by her partner more than 20 years ago.

I would like to congratulate Michael and Maria Costigan and the Costigan family for their hard work in establishing this foundation and delivering something positive, a tangible legacy from something so terrible. I would like to thank Canberrans for their support to date, and I also encourage them to donate to the foundation. The children are okay. The children have got plenty of financial support. We now need to donate to those who are victims of domestic violence— (Time expired)

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