Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the importance of this motion that one-in-three Australian women living in the electorates of everyone in this place has experienced physical violence since the age of 15. Of those victims, two-thirds are in paid employment, smashing the myth that domestic violence only occurs in disadvantaged households. I stand here as testament that it happens in every kind of household this country offers. Seventy-five per cent of us survivors have a job. The scourge of domestic violence is a national crisis and a national humiliation that continues to undermine our values and ambitions as Australians.

We are well aware of the shocking statistics that represent the violence that befalls too many women and children in this country. It creates long-term harm and consequences for the victims, the families and our society. I am proud to support this motion and Labor's policy of 10 days paid leave for victims of domestic violence. This is something long fought for by the front-line workers who are helping survivors step through this process. I condemn this woeful government for not acting in the best interests of survivors and their children. I note the member for Corangamite's very brazen statement: 'We've made these recommendations.' Well, I say: put them into place then. If you are so proud of your recommendations, do something about them. Have the courage to do something about them. The inclusion of 10 days paid domestic leave is exactly the kind of courage that we need for those people who find themselves in a situation outside of their control. It will save lives and change the story for people for whom saying 'I love you' was their only mistake.

Only Labor recognise the importance and the need to improve workplaces, and we've been doing it throughout our whole existence. The Prime Minister and those with whom he serves only care about improvements to the bottom lines of their big donor mates and the big end of town. Let's be clear: the cost of 10 days paid DV leave in the National Employment Standards is just 5c per day, per worker—about $9 to $12 per year. It's hardly going to dent the value of the shareholdings at Goldman Sachs. The PM cowers from the real reform that would jeopardise their big business pals, who see this as a cost burden to their bottom lines and not a lifeline to the one-in-three women who deserve it. That is evident here today when those opposite could only scrape together a single speaker to hustle their point—one member of the LNP to defend their weak-as-water position. It is easier for them to pin on a white ribbon and show faux empathy for the women who need real action and meaningful change.

In case there was any misunderstanding about why this need is so important, let's paint a picture. A victim of domestic violence is not sick. She doesn't need to take her sick leave. They're not taking a holiday, so annual leave certainly doesn't apply. And they're not grieving, so bereavement leave isn't what they need either. They are meeting with police, giving statements and providing evidence—specialist police who work the hours of nine to five. They are seeing their children's schoolteachers and meeting with counsellors to ensure their children's lives aren't unexplainably disrupted—schools that work the hours of nine to three. They are making arrangements for their children to move schools and start safely in another location. They are viewing new accommodation options for themselves with real estate agents who work nine to five. They are meeting with tradespeople at their homes to upgrade security, such as locks, or implement more security options—tradespeople who work regular hours. They are seeing their caseworkers, preparing for court attendance and making safety plans—caseworkers who work nine to five. They are attending appointments with lawyers to ensure their children are kept safe during this period of disruption—lawyers who work nine to five. Then, when all the mechanical things are taken care of, these survivors then attempt appointments of their own: psychologists, doctors, forensic evidence documenters—all who work the hours of nine to five.

Bearing all that in mind, without access to paid leave—like the 10 days we seek—a woman would have to face the prospect of doing this with some other leave entitlement, to hide the truth of her situation from her colleagues or superiors, keeping the shame game alive and telling society that this should still happen behind closed doors, to rely on the goodwill of a generous boss or—the worst scenario of all, that we all should be ashamed of—to stay in the relationship because the burden of trying to do all this unsupported financially is too overwhelming. We need to ensure that we are supporting those who need it but also that we are sending a message to our communities, to our workplaces and to our society at large that we no longer accept the violence that happens. This would be one clear indicator of that. The workplace entitlement would be available to all employees if they or an immediate family member had experienced family or domestic violence. As Bill Shorten has said, we recognise the need to improve workplace support for survivors of domestic violence. I support this motion and I encourage those on the other side to do the same.

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