Trent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to second this motion. I rise to support this motion on White Ribbon Day and I commend the member for Fowler for bringing this issue before the House. White Ribbon Day occurs on the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It acknowledges the work of White Ribbon Australia and so many other organisations across the country who work not just on one day but 365 days a year.

While it is important that this parliament support White Ribbon Day, it is of concern to know that such a cause still requires so much attention in Australia in 2017. Despite the unprecedented amount of support from government and so many organisations in the community, we are still inundated with stories that continue to shock us all.

Thirty-five-year-old Blair Dalton was strangled in her Ettalong home, which she shared with her young children. Blair Dalton succumbed to her injuries and died in hospital. A 34-year-old woman in Campsie was left unrecognisable from critical head injuries sustained after allegedly being attacked by her partner with a hammer and a carving knife. A 30-year-old woman in Whalan was allegedly stabbed by a man who was in contravention of an apprehended violence order. Emergency services staff were unable to save her, and she died at the scene. All three of these incidents occurred in the space of one horrific week in New South Wales during September this year.

Sadly, these incidents are not isolated. They are the very real human tragedies and faces of alarming statistics that we simply cannot ignore. One in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them. This is often a person who is currently or was formerly in a position of trust such as a spouse or partner. One in four children are exposed to domestic violence in the home. On average in Australia one woman each week is killed by a current or former partner. I find this statistic staggering. And we know there are still so many incidents left unreported.

Domestic violence is a scourge on our society. It does not discriminate by geography, affluence or education. Critical to the eradication of the problem is ownership of the issue. Government can and should provide leadership, but in the end it requires each and every one of us as individuals and communities not to turn a blind eye when we believe domestic violence or abuse might be occurring. And, yes, it requires a commitment from all people and men in particular to stand up and condemn violence against women.

The breadth of the problem gives rise to the need for victim support services across the country in towns big and small. I rose to speak on this matter a year ago and was pleased that our government had just implemented a $100 million domestic violence strategy which was already making inroads. Recently the government announced the expansion of a very worthwhile pilot program to deliver targeted services to women through specialist domestic violence units. In my own electorate we already see a growing sense of ownership of this issue. The work of Mary's House, a relatively new women's refuge, has been greatly utilised and appreciated. It joins an existing refuge in the Lane Cove area which has done so much with limited space and means.

I want to thank the volunteers and staff who dedicate their time to ensuring the safety of women and their children seeking shelter and support in our area. Having worked with both organisations, I have just been so impressed by the efforts of so many volunteers to raise funds to provide the critical needs of those services, and that support has extended to local businesses and other community organisations who have been prepared to get involved.

I'm hopeful that the government will be able to lend some financial support to both these services through the current round of the Stronger Communities Program. Their applications have my strong support. Yet I also know that the services for such demand are still inadequate on the North Shore of Sydney. Much more needs to be done to support women and their children in need of an immediate sanctuary and support in our area.

I also want to acknowledge the work of our Defence forces. Locally, HMAS Penguin has organised a fun run on behalf of Defence in which all the competitors will take the oath:

… never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

I applaud those schools in my electorate which have also taken action to promote the cause of White Ribbon Day and to instil in their students that there is no excuse for violence against women, that there is no age too young to call it out and that this cause is one for which we must all accept responsibility.

White Ribbon Day is a timely reminder for us all to take responsibility for the violence we see occurring around us. It asks us to act rather than to ignore, and to see it for the crime upon us all that it is, and not as merely a private matter. Together, we must bring about the end of violence against women.

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