Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak tonight on a topic that has affected one too many Australians. It is a topic that many members on this side of the House and those opposite have spoken about: domestic and family violence. Being October, this month marks National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is important that this topic is discussed and issues are continuously addressed because the statistics are simply horrifying. One woman is murdered every week and another is hospitalised every three hours. One in three Australian women will experience violence in their lifetime. Since January this year, 63 women have been killed as a result of domestic violence, leaving behind children and shattered families.

The media is only reporting what they know and, indeed, what has been reported to police. It is a terrible feeling to think that there are many more women and families suffering in silence. Yet silence is the condition in which domestic violence and abuse thrives. Being aware of the issue and taking a stand is the best method to resolve this. Historically, talking about domestic or family violence was a social taboo. It just was not the done thing. It was not too long ago that the issue was considered a private matter and something to sort out at home. But it did not really get sorted out and, increasingly, some methods of sorting it out at home only involved further violence and, alarmingly, death.

The issue of family and domestic violence is not simple. It is a complex issue that occurs across all cultures, ages and socioeconomic groups. It is true that violence is not always inflicted on a woman by a man, but the majority of those who experience abuse and violence are indeed women. It is difficult to measure the true extent of this nationwide problem when many incidents of family, domestic and sexual violence go unreported. I recognise that both the coalition and Labor are committed in combatting this scourge together and this is the right thing to do. We recognise that an alignment of funding and resources must work in unison to stamp out this terrible crime. As the Prime Minister has said, in order to address this issue, we must 'elevate the issue to our national consciousness and make it clear that domestic, family and sexual violence is unacceptable in any circumstances'. The $100 million Women's Safety Package announced by the coalition government is a necessary step in the right direction. Funding is needed for essential access to frontline services, including shelters, case managers and financial assistance, for those escaping from violent homes. Counselling and legal services are also part of a holistic approach to help victims move on.

Moving on and moving forward from the emotional and physical trauma inflicted upon women and children is something that I believe needs further addressing. Being able to move forward is the one thing that many women talk about in a bid to get on with their lives. It is for this reason that the Moving Forward organisation in Barton is such a critical piece of community infrastructure that I am very proud of. The managing director of this amazing domestic violence service has informed me at length of the critical work they do in helping victims get their lives back together. Jan Christie has more than a decade of experience in this field, having previously worked in many parts of Sydney. She can attest to the fact that this heinous crime does not discriminate against culture and demographics. I was simply astounded in learning about the multifaceted aspects of this highly complex issue, because it goes beyond just violence itself. As Jan has stressed, the physical assaults experienced by the victim are only form of domestic violence. Too often, long-term emotional abuse has greater paralytic effect on the individual and the child than physical attack. In fact, long-term mental trauma is much harder to recover from, making it difficult for victims to escape from their perpetrators.

This is where Moving Forward steps in to provide a specialist case management service for women and children who are experiencing, escaping or have left domestic and family violence. The specialist team of employees and volunteers not only provide a bed for the night but help victims find long-term accommodation and employment to escape abuse. It also offers therapeutic and educational workshops for women centred on practical support and client centred planning. It is important that women can rebuild their sense of identity and purpose in moving forward with their lives, because, without any sense of empowerment to leave and move forward, they remain trapped in that environment. It is also crucial that we as a nation address the cause of domestic violence and family abuse. The statistics I mentioned previously are as startling as they are revealing that this crime is an indictment of some male attitudes towards women.

Australians have had enough and I have had enough. Quite frankly, the level of family and domestic violence in Australia in 2015 is alarmingly high and completely unacceptable. All Australians have a role to play in changing the attitudes that create and sustain this endemic culture of violence in our communities. If we all work together, we can resolve this.