Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. This afternoon, Rosie Batty gave a remarkable speech that I and other members of parliament had the privilege of attending. About solving family violence in Australia, she said that it is up to you, it is up to me, it is up to all of us. Will the Prime Minister join me again in renewing our parliament's commitment to do all we can to eliminate family violence in Australia?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do appreciate this question from the Leader of the Opposition and, yes, I am very pleased to join with him. I am sure all of us would be very happy to link arms across this chamber in this very important cause. Who could not fail to be touched by the extraordinary story—the tragedy and the resilience—that has afflicted Rosie Batty who, rightly and properly, is triumphantly the Australian of the Year? As a husband, as the brother of three sisters and as the father of three daughters, I find any violence against women and children absolutely abhorrent. My message and, I am sure, the message of everyone in this chamber to our brothers, to our sons and to our mates—because, let's face it, overwhelmingly this is a problem of male perpetrators against female victims—is: no more, never ever again. This is not a women's issue. It is a men's issue. It is a national issue. All of us—the men in this chamber, in particular—have a real challenge to rise to.

As you may recall, this was a subject that was extensively dealt with at COAG earlier this year. A COAG task force has been established, chaired by the former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Ken Lay, and deputy chaired by the Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty, to look at this issue generally but, in particular, to look at the issue of a national domestic violence order, which will protect women everywhere in our country once it is issued. There is $100 million on the Second Action Plan against domestic violence, there is $30 million available for a further awareness raising campaign on this and there will be money available to respond to the recommendations of the Ken Lay-Rosie Batty committee.

Yes, it is about money. But, above all, it is about values. It is about a change of heart. It is about saying that we must always do the decent thing. If someone is weaker than us, if someone is more vulnerable than us, it is our duty to be a protector not a persecutor. That is the resolution that all of us must make. Towards that resolution, I am only too happy to continue working with the Leader of the Opposition and other members of this parliament.