Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take seriously my roles as a husband and a father. I know that most Australian men do too. This year, I became an ambassador for White Ribbon, the male-led campaign to end men's violence against women. White Ribbon is about challenging the behaviours of the minority who use or condone violence against women. While these are the views of a minority, family violence is a serious matter. In Australia, family violence is the principle cause of homelessness for women and their children. Family violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness in Australian women aged 15 to 44. One in four children see family violence during their childhood, which is a form of child abuse.

This year, I formed the bipartisan group of Parliamentarians Against Family Violence with my colleagues Tim Watts and Andrew Broad. Today, I swore an oath never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women. Almost 140,000 Australians have sworn the same oath and I hope that many more do the same. Good men cannot and will not sit on the sidelines while those they love are at risk of harm. In particular, if we take a stand on a very unified basis, then we can make a difference to the lives of our women in Australia, their children and their families.