Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In August, I hosted the Minister Assisting the Prime Minster for Women, Senator Michaelia Cash, at a domestic violence forum in Adelaide. The forum was well attended by the community at the Thebarton Community Centre. I would like to thank and acknowledge Zonta District 23 and the Central District Violence Service for their outstanding efforts in supporting and promoting the event which ensured that many more people were aware. People attended to hear about what the government is doing in this space and the challenges that we all face in addressing the problem. From Zonta, I would like to thank Cintra Amos, Nan Berrett, Anne Miller and Naomi Reschke. The Honourable Michelle Lensink and Deputy Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party, Vickie Chapman, were also able to attend, so there was great representation from the South Australian Liberal team. The government, of course, has made domestic abuse a national priority. Domestic abuse is, for first time ever, on the COAG agenda. COAG has a series of deliverables to achieve in relation to the national domestic violence order scheme, the national standards for perpetrator intervention.

I also attended the function for the Zahra Foundation on Saturday night. Zahra was an immigrant to our nation who hoped that a new start in Australia would provide the full life she was looking for. Unfortunately, this was not the case. She left her husband and was the victim of a tragic murder by her estranged husband in front of hundreds of witnesses at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The event and the Zahra Foundation aim to assist women who have been threatened and abused at the hands of their partners. It was also great that Senator Michaelia Cash was able to return to Adelaide for the Zahra Foundation event and speak so passionately about what the government is doing in this area at a national level. As a community, must work together to combat domestic violence and, by highlighting the issue and talking about the problems, we can help to shine a light on the problem which can only help us move forward.

The vast majority of this kind of abusive behaviour occurs in the privacy of a person's home—the place where you are supposed to be safest; your private sanctuary where you can escape from any other troubles. For many people this is not the case, and Zahra was a classic example. They are subject to unacceptable violence and abuse that must stop. Many people think physical violence is the only form of abuse. That is not the case. Intimidation and threatening behaviour create an environment that is unacceptable and the main perpetrators are men. As the father of a daughter and a son, it is part of my job to teach my children that this kind of behaviour is not on. The Port Adelaide Football Club has joined the push and is helping to take the message to schools, teaching kids from an early age that they need to respect others.

I would like to finish with some of the advice from the White Ribbon Foundation: if you know someone who is acting in an inappropriate way, ask them whether they would they like someone treating their sister, daughter or mother in that way or how they would feel if someone treated them that way.